The Phoenix and the Dragon
by Nightheart
Summary: Sally Po has a life of her own working with her partner Wufei in the Preventors, but then her father summons her before the Grand High Council of the Twelve Clans to force her to mary a man he has chosen for her, things may never be the same again.
1. Default Chapter

The polite, inoffensive way to describe one Chang Wufei was that he was "gendercentric," the less polite, (though probably more accurate way) the way in which most of the other female and some of the male Preventors were inclined was that he was a chauvinistic prig.

Sally hadn't found that particular sentiment to be true. In her experience Wufei was protective, not chauvinistic. The looks of admiration for her patience and sympathy for having to put up with a "difficult" partner were things that Sally didn't understand. She was actually pretty happy working with Wufei, in fact he was the best partner she'd ever been paired with.

In the past six years Wufei had grown from a comely, if on occasion near-rabid, boy to a very handsome young man. Wufei had overcome his past uncertainties and the angsty teen-age self-loathing of his earlier years to find himself with a clear definition of who he was and what he was fighting for. Sally was proud and pleased to have been able to play a part in his revelations, and took a small amount of pardonable pride in the man that he had become. While he was still a little stiff-necked, and didn't like being surrounded by people, detested parties and social gatherings of any sort, Wufei was a good man. He had a clear-cut set of ideals and a code of determining what was right and wrong that he could live with. He was no longer at war with himself and Sally was glad of that for his sake.

Okay, so it wasn't so much that Wufei was a misogynist, he really wasn't. He just had a very traditional upbringing. Sally knew all about traditional upbringings! Couple that with his dislike of seeing anyone he considered too weak to be fighting, going out and getting hurt, and Wufei had a tendency to come off as a bit overbearing. 

But to Sally at least, he was sweet. He never outright disrespected her or disparaged her opinions, unless, of course, they had anything to do with Sally putting her own body directly in the path of threat or danger. If any such scenario came up, he would immediately label it as "too risky" and seek to change it to something he considered a little more acceptable. Namely, he tried to switch it around so that he was the only one taking all the risks and Ex-Major Ex-guerilla-fighter ex-mercenary Sally Po was the one who was stuck safe behind a communicator somewhere far away from the danger zone. 

After a few months of putting up with his efforts to protect her by keeping her from doing things she knew damned well that she could do, and do well, Sally had had enough. She had let Wufei know on no uncertain terms that she was going in there with him come hell or high water and nothing he could say or do was going to get her to back down. Up until that point, their partnership had been going relatively smoothly… That had certainly set the cat among the pigeons. They'd gone round and round about it for hours, days at a time. Finally, Lady Une had interceded (stating she was never going to get any peace and quiet in her office if she didn't) on Sally's behalf, and Sally Po had been riding in the front seat with Wufei ever since. 

He still had a tendency to try to protect her, but he knew when he might get away with revising the plan with a little compromise and when he might as well just give up and let her do things her way (because she was probably going to anyway.)

The main problem now, so far as she saw it, lay not within her partner but within her own heart. While Mr. Chang might be her intellectual equal as well as her full partner in the Preventors, and the passing years had completely erased the four year age gap between them Sally had certain standards of professionalism that she rigorously held herself to and dating within the ranks, especially one's partner was on the list. Dating ones partner…it was just so damned unprofessional! At least that was what she would have said if anyone had brought such a scenario to her before she had been partnered with the dark and handsome Chinese man.

Impossible, she thought, shaking her head and snorting to herself. The whole thing's just impossible. The little misogynist-in-training shouldn't mean this much to me, but he does. I can't let it distract me from my work though. I'll just have to endure the pangs of unrequited love in silence and hope this insanity leaves me quickly.

Aside of her work, she had yet one other thing to worry about and was it ever a big worry. Sally Po, or, Po Sai-Li as she had been named at birth, had still to contend with the being suffocated by the warm and loving bosom of her family. 

The Po Family was one of the oldest and most respected families in Hunan Province, they were also one of the most traditionalist. Po Sai-Li, the bastard half-breed daughter of Po Tsu, was anything but a traditionalist. She prided herself on her independence and self-reliance. She acted in ways that flew in the face of the "True Path" and did things that were Not Done. Her blood-father was the keeper of the family's holding and as the only male born of their family inhis generation had inherited everything and was now the sole leader of their Clan and family. He was also a very strict traditionalist and fiercely condemned anything that flouted his sacred ways. As far as he was concerned his way was the only way, and his errant daughter was one of the biggest thorns in his side. 

Women were not supposed to have thoughts, much less entire lives and careers of their own. (Which Sally did.) They were not supposed to disobey the edicts of any of the male members of their family (Sally positively _lived_ in disobedience; not only that, she reveled in it!) They most especially were not supposed to be working in a man's field…Sally had been a doctor, achieved the rank of major solely on her own merits, had been a rebel freedom fighter protecting her homeland of China and was now a Preventor, all occupations which flew in the face of that rule. Women were supposed to quiet, meek, and obedient to their husbands, fathers, and brothers… They were never supposed to speak out of turn or venture a direct opinion unless asked for it first. They were supposed to mind the home and birth and raise the children. 

None of these options held any appeal for Sally, she had no intentions of settling down to a marriage arranged by her family. In fact, when her father had received a marriage-alliance proposal for her Sally had personally contacted the young man making the proposal and told him that she would not be accepting it. This was also yet another violation of her family's so-vaunted traditions, she was not supposed to decline a proposal unless her father said she could and she certainly was not supposed to make the decision for herself. It had been a scandal! 

Sally wished that her father would just disown her and get it over with…but she knew that he wouldn't do that. He still considered his wayward daughter to be "his" which meant that he still owned her. Po Tsu expected his children to be obedient, and when they weren't he usually found ways to bend them to his will. The rest of the family was a lot more laid back about it all, they were willing to let her go off on her own and wash their hands of her. Not so her father. He was jealous of his power, guarded it closely, he resented anything that might threaten what power that he had. And Sally was definitely a threat…at least in his eyes she was. She had no intentions of usurping her father from his position, but it was not her that threatened him; it was her actions. Her continuous defiance of him, her constant flouting of his authority and her refusal to bend to his will, even a little were threats upon his power. In the end it was all about control.

I don't care what the rest of my family thinks of me, she told herself. I have no intention of settling down to a marriage arranged for power or getting trapped in the Parsons mousetrap with some guy! I have too much that I can do with my life! I may have very strong feelings for my partner now, but I'm sure that they'll fade in time. All I have to do is be strong and wait it out. I'm sure that the day will come when I don't wake up and realize that there is something new to love about him as well as something new about him that irritates me. Maybe if I try thinking of him like my younger brother… Yeah, that sounds like a good way to get my affections to cool down into something manageable! That's what I'll do.

The object of Sally's reflection, Wufei, remained in valuable ignorance of the honey-haired woman's inner turmoil, choosing instead to concentrate on some inner turmoil of his own. Unbeknownst to either of them it was on the same subject over which Sally brooded. His partner.

Now, Wufei prided himself on being a logical man. He took great care now not to let his emotions get the best of him or to keep him from doing what he knew to be right. He thought things through, relying on his background as an intellectual rather than a warrior to examine a situation from all angles and decide upon the best course to take based in that analysis. He did not like disorder, hated disorganization and prized discipline very highly. In point of fact, he was always in order. His appearance was always so neatly kempt as to be immaculate. His hair was slicked back and tied in a pony tail as tradition demanded. His pristine white uniform was kept spotlessly clean and neat, pressed to a fare-thee-well and conscientiously groomed. He was the kind of man who would see a pile of rope on the floor and spend all day untangling it simply because it interferred with his sense of order in the universe. He liked having everything in its place and knowing that he knew where everything belonged as was the right and proper order of things.

That was why he was brooding. As he walked from his one-room flat two blocks away from Preventors HQ to the small complex that housed the main offices of the Preventors. Something was turning his neatly organized, filed, catagorized and cross referenced universe upside-down. Or, rather, it was _someone_. His partner in fact, and a more stubborn and infurioratingly frustrating woman he had yet to meet. (Although from what Heero said, Relena Peacecraft came in a close second.) 

For one thing, she was self-reliant to the point of putting people off sometimes. That in and of itself wasn't a bad thing (for Wufei was guilty of it, so how could it be bad?) But in Sally, it was almost an obsession, and not a very feminine one either. Wufei sometimes got the sneaking suspicion that she was overcompensating for something else, but he was damned if he knew what it was. She never talked about her past, but since he never talked about his Wufei didn't ask. 

Aside of that fault, Sally also continued to defy his ingrained concept of what a perfect woman _should_ be. She did this simply by existing. She was competent, capable, a great strategist, a fine Preventor and really the best partner he'd ever had. Okay, aside of a few one or two week training missions with greenie Preventors she was the only partner he'd ever had; but there was a reason for that. The other people he'd been partnered with had been annoying, they didn't know how to do anything right, and they couldn't even seem to figure out what his next move was going to be in that way Sally had. She was always patient with him, never lost her temper but never let him walk all over her either. She'd agree with him if she thought he was right, point something out she thought he might have missed, and went toe to toe with him when she thought he was wrong. 

But for all of her self-reliance and for all of her occasionally argumentative qualities, Sally was probably the kindest person he'd ever met. He could recall a time back when they'd first met when she'd offered him food and shelter over the objections of her comrades. Then later she had walked straight into the line of fire as a Leo towered over them, without flinching, just so he wouldn't have to fight. He'd been feeling particularly worthless at that time in his life and she'd said that healing his heart was worth more than her life at that moment. Even now she was always finding little ways to cheer him up when he was feeling down after a particularly depressing mission, or when he was still haunted by the memory of his colony self-detonating. All these little kindnesses, teasing him lightly until he gave in and answered her in kind, making him laugh, cajoling him into taking a break and doing something "fun" with her that he was usually surprised to find that he enjoyed.

He realized with a start that they had been working together for six years now. The fact surprised him because it felt like almost no time at all had gone by. But it had, and that made Wufei wonder just how long things would go on like this. He had Sally as his partner (and pretty much all to himself) now, but eventually she'd want to find someone and settle down to have children. He supposed she was attractive enough to rope in about any man she'd care to. What with her lively blue eyes like twin flames that sparkled when she laughed and those full lips that were more often than not stretched into an easy going smile, she shouldn't have any problems finding a husband when she wanted to settle down. But that thought caused him an inexplicable little pang of… something. He found that he really didn't like the idea, at all. He tried to think of his life without her in it and kept drawing up blanks. His partner was closely interwoven with every part of his life, not just on his job and the missions but also in his free time. He enjoyed her company. In all of his life he'd never really had someone who's company he could truly say he enjoyed. His solitary nature had been one of the reasons he'd been a scholar as a child, books didn't expect you to hold a conversation with them.

He realized that he had never really thought about giving her up before and that now that he had, he'd no intention of doing so. And that, he realized, was selfish of him. He couldn't keep a young, pretty and intelligent woman like her all to himself simply because he'd find it inconvenient to find another partner. It would be wrong of him to try to keep her to himself since there was no way he could possibly marry her and he wouldn't want to dishonor her by asking her to take a secondary position as a consort or some such if and when he did marry and restart Dragon Clan. For one thing, he himself frowned n such practices and for another she would likely box his ears for the suggestion that she would take a menial position in his life. However she didn't seem inclined to go out searching for a husband or lover either so perhaps he was worrying over nothing. Perhaps he was worrying about her marital status as a way to put off thinking about his duty to his Clan for another year.

"Good morning Wufei," Sally called cheerfully from her own office, right across the hall from his.

"Sally," he said nodding in acknowledgement. He never ever called her "woman," he'd tried it once, early on in their association. And the memory was sharp with the clarity only embarrassment can bring.

He'd been trying to get her attention to tell her that he'd needed more forms… "Woman?" he'd said. Sally had ignored him, looking innoscently around and behind her as if he'd been speaking to someone else. So he'd tried again. "Woman." She'd studied her fingernails obviously ignoring him. So he'd tried a third time, this time using her name. "Sally." She'd turned to look at him, her open face perking right up. "Yes Wufei? Is there something you need?" she'd asked. "I've been trying to get your attention," he'd said. "No-o" she replied with certainty. "You've been trying to get the attention of a person called Woman, and scince neither you nor I are named woman, you must have been talking about someone else." I was quite obviously reffering to you as you are the only female in this room," he'd answered back stiffly, indignant at her nerve. Sally had only responded with that never-ending supply of patience she had. "Well you must have been talking about someone else since noble scions of the Clans don't go around calling people named Sally Woman. Especially if he expects her to answer him in a timely fashion." By this point Wufei had reached the end of the lamentably short fuse he'd had in those days. "Look woman, I will call you whatever I please!" he'd said. Years later that remark had been the cause of an inner bit of shame but at the time Sally had merely replied with more patience and a smile. "Oh, by all means, call me whatever you like," she'd answered cheerfully. "Just call me Sally when you want me to answer you." He'd tried calling her "woman" again later that afternoon, but she'd simply ignored him again. So he'd been calling her Sally ever since and she'd never once let him slip up.

"Coffee?" she asked, offering him a mug. "It's fresh."

"Thanks," he said. Common cortesy was also something she had worked with him on over the years. She'd nearly had to practically pummel the notion that saying words like please and thank you were not offenses to his dignity but were rather ways of respecting the people around you by not treating them as subservients. 

"Is your half of the report finished?" he asked, merely as a formality. Of course it was finished, she was Sally after all.

"Yes. How about yours?"

"Naturally. Are you looking forward to the vacation time that Une has offered us? I imagine you already have plans for it," he said, hoping he was wrong. If she didn't have plans made then she'd probably eventually invite him along to help her find something to do with her free time.

"Not really, I-"

"Mail call," one of the office orderlies called. "Something for you, Po. Messenger said it was fairly urgent." 

Sally frowed momentarily in puzzlement, but her face cleared as the orderly handed her a scarlet packet emblazoned with a golden flaming bird. Wufei realized with a start that he recognized it, it was the seal of one of the Clans.

"I wonder what the old bugger wants now," she muttered with as close to a sour look as Wufei had ever seen on her face. With that, she absent mindedly tore open the seal on the pouch and pulled out the envelope inside of it, which was also brilliant scarlet with gold writing in Chinese on it. Wufei's careful, and curious, eyes caught the first few glyphs and they were in ancient Chinese, one of the Elder dialects.

"What's that?" he asked, casually curious. Sally had never received mail before.

"Oh just some personal business I'm sure," she said vaguely. She slit open the envelope with her field knife walked into the privacy of her office to read it. 

Wufei tried to conceal his curiosity. Nosiness was the province of women. Still, what would she be doing getting a letter from the Clans? It was an official one, he could tell by the gold embossed crest. Gold and scarlet? Wufei searched his memory…which Clan? Not Tiger, the guardian spirit of fire, they were coppery-orange. The Clans at the four major elements were the ones that held only one color. Dragon Clan, who's sole element was Earth, had green as their color. Shark Clan, of water element, naturally had blue. Eagle Clan, of air element, had white. The Clans whose Guardian spirit's nature lay in a mixture of two different elements had more than one color. Ki-rin (unicorn) Clan, with the elements of Earth and Fire, were silver and jade. Finally, his copious memory supplied the detail he was looking for. Phoenix Clan had chosen scarlet and gold as their emblemic colors. What would Phoenix Clan want with her? Was she connected to them in some way?

Perhaps they had heard of how she protected China and wish to thank her, he thought, then he snorted. And perhaps pigs will fly first. The Noble Houses in Phoenix Clan were notoriously traditionalist. Dragon Clan had been willing to accept a person, male or female, on their own talents if they could prove themselves. He'd heard and read that many of the Clans here on Earth were not quite so forward thinking. He had not really thought much about the other Clans for a long time, mainly because he had not wanted to think about his duty to his own Clan to find a wife and begin reconstruction of it. He was still quite young yet, he could afford to put it off for another year or two…or three.

Wufei shook his head to clear it and went back into his office. She would tell him, or not, as she saw fit to. Until that point it wasn't any of his business.

Sally closed her door behind her and leaned against the solid oak desk in  her office, it wasn't huge, but it was at least good sized. One of the better offices in Preventors HQ, and Sally had earned it on her own merits. That was one of the reasons she liked it so much. She got to decorate it to her satisfaction and she didn't have to share it with anybody. Wufei had his own office just across the hall from her, and it wasn't larger than hers. Of course, having a female as head of the Preventors was a good way to ensure equality between the sexes as far as Sally was concerned.

Sally pulled the letter, written in shiny gold flecked ink on thick parchment paper made from rice leaves and rag in the traditional method, out from the envelope with a feeling of trepidation. She had a feeling that whatever was in the letter, she was not going to like it one bit.

_Daughter. _

_ Return home at once. The Grand High Council wishes to address you about a matter of some importance._

_ ~Your Honorable Father._

And he didn't even bother to sign it, all it contained was his official seal next to the closing. He only did that when he was being his most formal. That told Sally that he was displeased with her about something.

Feh! Father's always displeased with me, she thought with a shrug. She briefly considered simply discarding the note and ignoring the summons. But she dismissed that idea as a bad one right away. She could get away with bending the rules when the matter was between her and her own House, but ignoring a summons to the grand High Council would give them grounds for disciplinary action. She was mortally certain that she did not want that at all. She may have spent all of her time in the Outlands as a healer-warrior, but even she knew that she was no match for what the Clans could dish out to her of they so chose. So that left only one question.

What could the Grand High Council want with me?

Well, there was no helping it, she had to return home the Po Village and await her meeting with the Grand High Council.

Ah yes, Po Village, she thought with heavy irony. It's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there!


	2. ch. 2

Po Village was in the heart of Phoenix Territory, where Phoenix Clan lived in what had once been Hunan Province, China. Po Village was the one stationary haven, the head base, for all of Phoenix Clan, who for the most part wandered the land of China like gypsies. Phoenix Clan's head officials, and Family Leaders all met there twice yearly to exchange news, decide laws, announce new marriages, births and betrothals. Because of the nomadic nature of most of the rest of Phoenix Clan (the Po Family being the noted exception) Po Village had a large transient population. The Po Family stayed behind to tend their Village and buildings (and the warrior training ground within it) during the time when all of the other Clans went out on their trade routes. 

There were twelve main Clans in China, Dragon Clan having been the one of ancient warriors who kept up many of the fighting traditions until their move to outer space. Dragon Clan had grown too powerful for the peace of mind of the other Twelve Clans, so they had been asked to set up residence in a colony in outer space. That much Po Sai-Li remembered from what her sensei had told her. The Twelve Clans were protected by a spirit or entity of each element or that lived in two elements. For example, Dragon Clan was protected by the dragon, and the dragon's element was Earth. In the diagram that outlined the placements of each elemental in relation to its Clan, the phoenix was the Spirit of Fire and Air, so Phoenix Clan was halfway between Air and Fire. 

Young Po Sai-Li, her name before she'd changed it to Sally (in order to fit in better in her new life), had never quite "fit in" in Po Village. For one thing there was her looks. She had honey-blonde hair and cloudy blue eyes, pale skin and she was unusually tall for a woman. Sally was an awkward and gawky 5'6 towering over all of her other sisters. All of the other women in her Clan and family were dark-haired, dark-eyed and dark-complexioned, and very femininely petite. Her sisters were all perfect model examples of good Chinese women… dainty, feminine, perfect. Every time she saw one of them Sally suffered a small fit of jealousy. She was too big, too un-dainty, too un-feminine. She couldn't help the looks category, it was her fathers fault after all. If he had not had a child by an outsider woman, Sally would not have looked the way she did. And it just figured that most of Phoenix Clan were the provincial, backward-thinking individuals who somehow placed the sin of being a bastard on the child and not on the parent where it belonged.

To say that Sally and her father had difficulties getting along would be an understatement. Po-Tzu was the most patriarchal, parochial, dominating dictator that Sally had ever met! At least Wufei had a sensitive and kind reason for never wanting Sally to do anything, Po-Tzu's only reason for his suppression of the opposite gender was because it was against tradition for women to be seen as anything but meek, subservient housewives and daughters. Sally held no truck with that kind of thought. 

Every time she returned home for a visit they got into a disagreement about Sally's choice of lifestyle, living alone away from family and without a husband. Not only that but Sally's blunt refusal to have anything to do with getting a husband. Po-Tzu had tried on several occasions to marry her off as second or third wife to those Clans that practiced polygamy (no one of her…unique bloodline was ever considered good enough to be first wife) with disastrous results. On his first attempt her father had secured a Marriage-Alliance treaty with the head of the Hou Family of Rooster Clan (Metal) and had offered his peregrinating daughter Sai-Li as the bride. He'd called her home for a visit to tell her the good news…he'd found a husband for his daughter. Sally had been, to put it _very_ mildly, less than pleased. The morning of the ceremony the household had woken to find the "blushing bride" fled, with all of the guests and family's modes of transportation professionally sabotaged so they couldn't come after her very quickly. It had been a tremendous embarrassment for Clan and Family.

Despite that, Po-Tzu refused to just disown his wayward daughter (as she was sure they both would have preferred). He still kept trying to change her, to bring her back into the familial fold and get her to recant of her erroneous ways and see the light. Sally, for her part, stopped listening the moment the word "husband" was mentioned in her presence. Sally Po was an independent woman and _damned_ proud of her hard won independence. She simply would not tolerate any threat to that. And in her book marriage was definitely a threat to her independence. She did not need to be chained to some overbearing, patriarch of a slave-driver to do endless rounds of housework and never be allowed a free thought in her head. Never to voice her opinions in public for fear that someone might overhear and think that she might actually be **gasp!** an intelligent being. No, life as a wife among the Clans was definitely not for her. She was happy just as she was...a little lonely sometimes, but Sally had told herself long ago to expect that. What she hadn't been expecting was to fall in love with her partner.

Aside of her looks, another reason Sai-Li had never fit in with her dear beloved family, was a clash of interests and veiws. Right from the start Sai-Li had been a fighter. Unfortunately for her, aside of the dainty fan, or the shirai, or the eku, learning weapons was reserved for the boys of the Clans. There had not been a female warrior in Phoenix Clan since…well it had been a long time. It was all but forbidden to her. But did Sai-Li let a little thing like a social taboo, stop her? Of course not! Fortunately for her, one of the Eldest and highest ranking teachers there had taken to the young girl and took her on as a student…when he saw her innate talent, a protégé. And later on, a friend. Since the old man was well respected in the Clan, he was allowed his peculiarities. If he wished to take a worthless halfblood girl as a student, then that was his right, to the thinking of the rest of the Clan.

When Sai-Li had come of an age to be married, her father had demanded that she give up "that martial arts non-sense" and settle down into the marriage-alliance he'd arranged for her. After the first two attempts to bring her to heel, (which had ended in massive destruction of property or massive embarrassment or the occasional bloody nose) she got fed up with trying to pretend to go along with it. Young Sai-Li, true to form, had openly defied her father by challenging her fourth would-be future husband to a duel in hand-to-hand combat. At first, the elders had not been willing to allow such a travesty to proceed. A woman being allowed to decide her own future? Fah! But Sai-Li had done her research in preparation for that day, and there was indeed a law written in one of the oldest records-scrolls of her Clan stating that a woman did indeed have the right to challenge a man of another Clan to avoid being married to him. Such a thing had not been done for many many generations, not within anyone's lifetime could such a thing be recalled. Knowledge of that particular clause had been suppressed but Sai-Li and her sensei had managed to dig it up. She had challenged, and won, winning in the process the right to seek her destiny elsewhere outside the Clans. 

Sai-Li had changed her own name and embarked out on what for her was a grand adventure, the world beyond the isolated little village that was all she had known for her entire life. She'd wound up in the Alliance Academy after winning a scholarship at a tourney. Sally had been curious about everything, but also had an interest in keeping food in her mouth and a roof over her head, so she'd chosen a field that was likely to be in demand no matter where she went…medicine. From there she'd applied to the Alliance to comlete her medical training on the field returning home once every year until her nineteenth year to fight for her freedom.

Sally Po kept up very little contact with her family, one or two of her sisters with whom she had been particularly close, and of course, her sensei. Other than that Sally only went back to Po Village once every year to keep her independence by trouncing every would-be suitor that her father had found for her. Right after she had left her father had proclaimed that on the very next summer solstice she would be married to another suitor that he had found for her. Sai-Li had returned, challenged that one and won again. So her father brought out another suitor. After she beat him in combat, she declared that she would allow no suior to marry her unless he first defeated her in combat. Her father had taken her at her word and declared that any man of the Clans who could defeat his daughter and turn her from her wild ways would win her for a wife and a fine dowry as well. Sensei had stepped in at that point and laid down some ground rules (else Sally might well have been forced to fight every available man between fourteen and forty in all of the Twelve clans). One rule was that she would only have to fight on the four days of the solstice festival, and another was that if, after five years of fighting Sally had remained undefeated she would have won hr independence. So, since the age of fourteen, Sally had returned to Po Village once every year on the week of the summer solstice to fight. And in her nineteenth year, she won her freedom.

She hadn't really been back there much since, but from what she'd heard everything was going great for Clan and family.

She set the note on her desk. She had best leave right away; only a fool kept the Grand High Council waiting. She should tell Lady Une that she had to leave for her vacation early because she suddenly had some urgent family business pop up that she had to see to immediately.

Yeah, like that one hasn't been used before, she thought wryly. Just in case she took the note off from her desk and brought it with her as proof.

She also wanted to say good bye to Wufei. She knew already that she wouldn't be telling him where she was going or why. He probably wouldn't understand Clan business anyway (forgetting that Wufei was from one of the Clans as well). She had been looking forward to spending her leave time hanging out with him and cajoling him into being relatively sociable. Oh well, there was always next leave. She walked out her door and down the hall until she reached the office of head of the Preventors, given the simple title Preventor One (which was also a lighthearted pun on Une's own name which also, ironically enough, meant one). She was let in at her knock and her business was concluded quickly. Une knew that whatever Sally had to take care of it was probably a genuine concern to her and not merely an attempt to get off work early. Sally wasn't a frivolous person so Une felt she could trush her at her word. Next came her partner.

*knock knock knock* 

"Come in Sally," said Wufei, knowing the exact sound and tone of Sally's knock on his office door.

"Hey Wufei," she said, standing in his doorway. "I have to take off early, my half of the report's out on my desk when you need it. I should be back in a week or so I think."

"Where are you going?" he asked, curiously. Was it her imagination, or did he sound disappointed?

"I have to go home, to China. Some urgent business just came up and they need me back there."

"Oh, alright," he said. "Go do what you have to Sally. And good luck to you. I hope it's not too serious."

"Thank you Wufei," she said. "I hope so too. I'll see you in a week or two."

"See you then," he said. Sally walked out of his office and then down the hall towards the exit. She had to pack so she could catch the next available plane to Shang-Hai in time. She walked out the back entrance to the employee parking lot and climbed into her jeep. Best to hurry.

* * * 


	3. Chapter 3

Po Ming straightened the front of her scarlet and crimson robes nervously. If she'd thought she stuck out in the gold edged robes of a Noble House in _China, it was nothing compared to the sight she made when she actually reached the Outlands. Walking down the tiny streets that the outlanders put beside their main streets for walking on she attracted outright stares. Truly, had these people never been taught any manners? Yes she knew her clothing looked different, but they were the only clothes she had and she didn't have time to waste in getting a disguise. She had to hurry and find her sister so she could warn her._

Father never gave up what was his, and in his mind Sai-Li was his by right of blood. It was his sovereign right to see to the disposition of his marriageable daughters in whatever way he so chose. Marriages brought alliances, alliances brought power and prestige to their House (or so Father had told her, at length, many times). Sai-Li was one of his daughters and so in his mind he had the right to see her married off to a man of his choosing, nevermind that Sai-Li was likely to take rather volatile exception to the whole idea. (Like the second time father had tried, and Sai-Li had merrily hit the detonation switches that had blown up her dowry to the other nobleman.)

Still, Ming had every confidence that things would work out all right in the end. Sai-Li was too clever to be taken in by Fathers' ruse to get her home so he could surprise her with the marriage ceremony and have her married off to Yo-Kin of Unicorn Clan in a double ceremony in which Ming would also be married to Zon-Kow of Snake Clan. Ming just had to reach her elder sister in time to warn her! She and one of her Elder Brothers had slipped out of Clan Grounds, leaving the others behind to cover for them in the hopes that they would arrive ahead of the messenger. Ming had to warn her sister for both Ming's and Sai-Li's fates were riding on this.

Ming simply couldn't disobey Fathers wishes in this case, but she still held out the hope that Sai-Li would come up with some way to stop Father from marrying both herself and Ming off to those two fat fools who called themselves noblemen. Ming did not wish marry Zon-Kow. He was, in Ming's personal, private, very-well-hidden opinion an odious oily snake of a man who resembled exactly the Guardian Spirit of his Clan.

Sai-Li keeps trying to tell me that I have the right to decide my own destiny and who I shall marry, thought Ming, waiting patiently for her Elder Sister to return to fetch her. Before Father had announced Ming's own impending marriage to the Snake-man as she'd privately nicknamed him, Ming would have been shocked and dismayed at the rebellious thoughts currently running through her head, would have prayed to her clan spirit for forgiveness for harboring such unworthy notions. But that was then.

Perhaps I shall…Perhaps I shall even take Sai-Li up on her eternal offer to leave the Clan Grounds and come live with her in her home, thought Ming bravely. The spirit of rebellion was upon her, after all why should she marry a man whom she did not love? Sally certainly didn't seem to intend to. She had even won her own freedom with her martial arts prowess. But leaving Po Village would mean leaving behind her family, and the only home she had ever known. It would mean becoming an outcast like Sai-Li had become. All the wives back in Po Village warned their daughters that if they were not dilligent in their duties and studies of the feminine arts, they would all end up like that Sai-Li, who lived among men whom she was not married to, unchaperoned! Oh the disgrace! It was all fine and well to _think_ about the freedom she might have if she left to live with Sai-Li, but being surrounded by strangers and living in a strange land with strange customs was just a little too daunting for sheltered little Ming. 

But Sai-Li had done it, so it could be done. 

These thoughts are…crazy! I'm not strong and brave or rebellious like Sai-Li is! thought Ming. But what if…

Ming was far beyond surprise at this point, nothing, absolutely nothing could have surprised her. She was already so surprised at her own audacity by venturing out beyond her safe homeland and

I hope this is the correct place, she thought. That man from the port told me that this was where I could find the headquarters of that "Prevention" group Sai-Li joined.

Gathering up the last of her overtaxed courage Ming walked up the steps and into the building. There she was met with a woman sitting behind a desk talking on a vid-phone and taking notes. Ming moved to walk past her.

"Excuse me Miss," the woman called out to her kindly. Ming paused, afraid she'd done something wrong. "The embassy is just down the street a little ways."

It took Ming a minute to translate what the woman had said to her in her head. English was such a difficult and confusing language, all the words were in the wrong places and their cases were a nightmare to try to learn. Really, what kind of a crazy language put the object of the sentence after the verb! 

"This unworthy one not looking for em-bass-y," Ming said carefully. "This unworthy one look for the people that are preventing."

"Oh! The Preventors," said the woman her face indicating that she knew what Ming was talking about. "Well, you're in the right place. How can I help you?"

After another pause, in which Ming ungarbled the sentence the woman threw at her Ming said.

"I looking for sister here. Po Sai-Li? You've seen?" Ming said, her voice hopeful. She really had to make it in time.

"I didn't know Sally Po had a sister. Well, it's a pleasure to meet you. Come right this way and I'll take you to her office," said the woman who rose from her seat, beckoned to Ming and continued briskly down the hall, into an elevator, then out into a labyrinth of cooridors which she thankfully passed by before proceeding down into more proper halls, a few more turns and she stopped outside a door like all the others.

"Here we are," said the woman. "This is her office, and since Sally never leaves early she should still be in there. I'll just leave you to talk with her."

"Thank-" Ming started, but the odd lady was already walking away, her funny shoes clicking down the hallway. Ming knocked on the door three times hopefully. Aside of the seriousness of her reason for venturing so far away from her home, Ming was genuinely looking forward to seeing her favorite sister. 

After their mother had died, and Father had never remarried (stating that he had enough children) Sai-Li had taken over the raising and caring of all seven of her brothers and her five other sisters. Ming's Elder Sister Sai-Li was as much mother figure as she was beloved sister. It had been she who had kept father from marrying Ming off to a doddering old nobleman in exchange for a lot of land. However, that had not ended Ming's own troubles with marriage-alliance proposals, merely postponed them, and time was running out. But that was not why she was here today.

There was no answer. With a feeling of dread clenching the pit of her stomach, Ming knocked again, a little louder.

"She isn't there," came a voice from behind her. Ming squeaked in surprise and turned around.

A head poked its way into her room. Ming stood transfixed to the spot she stood in by the tall, handsome, young man who was currently looking back at her inquisitively. He was built like a warrior and so very handsome.

"Are you looking for Sally?" questioned the young man, a trifle impatiently.

Afraid that she had somehow offended the handsome young man with her blaintant stare, Ming quickly lowered her eyes and abased herself as was proper in a mans presence.

"This unworthy one would dare to say that she come to look for sister to tell that she need come home for wed- Um, for family emergency Honorable sir," said Ming, bowing twice after answering his inquiry. Ming still had a lot of troubles with the strange Outlander tongue of English. Of course it had to be because Ming was slow and stupid, she only hoped that this noble warrior before her would forgive her clumsiness with the language. She studied him from underneath her lashes, her heart was positively pounding. He only got handsomer upon further study.

"Family emergency huh?" said the man leaning against the door jamb. Ming quietly swallowed. He moved with the sinewy grace of a tiger. Surely he must be some kind of nobility! "I was not aware that Sally had family."

"No one talk about her much," Ming answered honestly.

 It was partially true anyway, most of the rest of the Clan had washed their hands of her, but Father was forever ranting about how she had completely ruined four separate weddings bringing shame to their Clan and House. Then about how she'd had that spectacle (as if he had nothing to do with it) every year for five years. "Phoenix Clan and Po Family will never live it down," father kept saying."Well I wouldn't have had to if the old codger would stop treating me like chattel trying to marry me off to any doddering old goat or horny young puppy that makes an offer!" was always Sally's answer to that. 

"It's alright," Wufei said in Chinese, his dialect was strange, but Ming could understand him. "You don't have to struggle with English around me."

"You speak Chinese!" Ming exclaimed in surprise and releif.

"I am Chinese," he told her. "And judging by your clothing, you're a long way from Home. What's your name Miss? And what brings you here?"

"This unworthy one is Po Ming-Na, Third Eldest Daughter of The House of Po, Phoenix Clan," she said bowing three times before and after her introduction. "I've come here looking for my sister Sai-Li, it is urgent that I find her."

"Oh, I'm sorry, you just missed her," said the young man. "Why not just call her?" 

Ming looked at him, uncomprehendingly. Call?

"Oh, I see. I'd forgotten that some of the other Clans turned their backs on technology in order to live more simply," he said. "Well if it's that urgent, we shouldn't waste any more time. Follow me and I'll see if I can reach her at home."

Ming followed the handsome young man who moved like a fighter into the room, making certain to keep the door open. If she'd been back in the Clans and alone in a room with a young man who was not of her House it would have been grounds for a wedding. The handsome youth, who, now that Ming looked at him, was only a year or two older than she was, sat behind his desk and punched a button on a strange…Ming didn't know what it could be. In a second, it emitted a series of strange sounds while he waited impatiently. Then, Ming was shocked to hear Sai-Li's voice come out of no where! Sai-Li was speaking the Outlander tongue so Ming couldn't keep up for long. She looked around eagerly. Where was Sai-Li?

"You just missed her at home too," he said. "I only got her machine. She must have already left."

"But I just heard her," Ming protested. "Where is she?"

He looked at her for a moment as if trying to find the words to tell her something.

"What you just heard wasn't actually her. It was a recording. A machine made a copy of her voice and kept it even when she was no longer there. Kind of like an echo, but not quite."

"I think I understand," said Ming, sitting down in the chair in dejection. "This is terrible."

"What is? Why do you need to reach her so badly? Does it have anything to do with that letter she received earlier from your Clan?" asked the man. Ming looked up at him in surprise and dismay.

"She already got it? That must mean she's already on her way back Home!" she said.

"What's this all about?" he demanded as if he had every right to know. Ming looked at him in surprise at his tone.

"Who are you?" she asked finally, realizing that he had never given her his own name.

"Chang Wufei," he said. He looked for a moment, like he was going to say something further but closed his mouth abruptly. "I'm Sally's partner here at the Preventors. If she's in any kind of trouble I'm sure I can help."

"She's in very big trouble," said Ming. "But it's Clan business, I don't know if you would understand it."

"Try me," he said. "I have some familiarity with life in the Twelve Clans."

Ming studied him closely for a moment, even though he was dressed in Outlander clothes he carried himself with the same kind of nobility as the ranking members of the Noble Houses that Ming had seen. Ming could almost sense that he had a strict code of honor as straight and sharp as a sword. After a moment of deliberation she decided that she would test him a bit before she trusted him fully. This was a sensitive matter after all and Ming did not wish to cause her sister trouble here in the Outlands where she lived by airing out her private business for all and sundry to turn into gossip.

"Before I tell you, you must answer three questions so that I can verify or myself that you are not merely a nosy stranger," she said.

"Sensible of you," he said agreeably. "But Sally hasn't told me anything about her home or her family and I didn't want to pry so you'll have to ask about something else."

"First, how long have you known my sister?"

"About seven years. I met her in 195, and we've been working together since the end of one nine six," he answered.

"How does she like her tea?"

"She usually drinks coffee, but when she does drink tea she likes it with honey and sometimes lemon."

"What style of martial arts does Sally excel in?"

"I haven't noticed that she uses one style overly much. She generally seems to use whatever best fits the situation but she's better at skirmishing and guerilla tactics than she is at hand to hand," he said analytically. 

"Okay, you passed, I trust you. Wow, if my sister is better at skirmishing then she is at hand to hand, you must be happy to have her on your side," said Ming.

"Yes," was all Wufei said. "Now what's this all about?" 

"My Elder Sister Sai-Li is the daughter of Po Tzu, who is the head of our House and the one who manages Po Village. Even though she is only a halfblood, she is still the eldest daughter of a Noble House…" the Ming went on to give a quick explanation about her sister's constant defiance, and the martial arts tournament and how Sai-Li had won her freedom. Then went on about how their Father Po Tzu refused to give up his claim to her (and her potential as a marriage-alliance bounty). 

"…So now he has called a meeting of the Grand High Council and she will be tried on the grounds that she has," here Ming paused, trying to get her mouth around the despicable word. "Dishonored herself with an Outlander. If she is found guilty by the Council they could have her put to death, but it is more likely that Father will plead with them to show her mercy and hand her over to him to ah, provide for. More than likely he will then give her over to a nobleman from the other Clans for a hefty prize."

"I think Sally would sooner die than have her wings clipped like that," said Wufei grimly. "And for the record, Sally has not "dishonored herself" with a man here in the Outlands. I've known her a long enough time to know that." 

He recalled a conversation he'd had a year ago with Sally in which they had been discussing marriage, which was the first time he'd told her about Meilan his wife. So that's why she was so sympathetic about the arranged marriage, he thought. She had said at the time that she hadn't ever found any one of the Outlands that she would care to fall in love with, and Wufei was certain that Sally wasn't the kind of girl who would do…the other thing…without love.

"Sai-Li is too proud to lower herself to that kind of level. She is too honorable to. I tried to tell Father this, but he would not listen. There is no one in the Clans who will speak for Sai-Li, she has defeated and embarrassed too many young men, and I think they will be glad to see her fall. The only ones who care about what happens to Sai-Li are myself, her other siblings and her old mentor Dirhann. She has no one to speak for her."

"I will speak for her," he said. 

"But you are an Outlander," she pointed out. "You are of no more use to her than I am. They will not listen."

"Oh I think they will," Wufei said enigmatically with an inscrutable smile. There was such complete and utter confidence in his voice that Ming wondered what kind of an ace he had up his sleeve.

"Well, if we do not hurry and get back to Po Village you will not have the chance to speak for her," said Ming. 

"I can arrange for your transportation back," he offered. 

"I thank-you," she said. "But my brother is waiting for me. He came also, to help save his sister. She has been like a mother to us and we are all proud of her strength and courage, even if Father is not. I will meet you back in Po Village. And thank you Honorable Mister Chang. Thank you."

"Don't waste time thanking me, get going. If the meeting is with the Grand High Council and Sally has as small a support base as you say she will need all the help she can get. Hurry back to your village and perhaps you and your brother can warn her before she is brought before the Council and the charges are made. I will join you shortly."

Ming bowed quickly, three more times, and left. Wufei then proceeded to Lady Une's office to ask to leave early.

"This is sudden," Lady Une replied when he had made his request. "My two best agents asking to leave early so suddenly. Why didn't you just ask to leave with her?"

"I did not know at the time that she would be needing me," was Wufei's stark and honest reply. "It's urgent that I leave as soon as possible."

"Okay. You have my permission Chang. I trust you…as much as I trust anyone. Get out of here before I change my mind."

Wufei departed without another word, left for home to grab his bag of clothes and provisions that he always kept ready (battle habits died hardest) and one other thing he thought would come in handy later then headed out. He debated whether it would be quicker to steal a plane, or call in a favor. Calling in a favor won out as the more sensible course. He knew several people who flew tiny two-seater planes or "bush planes" as some called them, and one or two of them owed him a favor. He'd take the plane back once he was through with his business in China. Within half an hour he was in the air and headed towards China.

* * *

Whoops, forgot the disclaimer! My bad.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The show and its characters are the sole creative property of Sunrise, Bandai and Sotsu Agency as well as its creators Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hajime Matate. The Twelve Clans and all of its affiliated work is the sole creative property of me.


	4. Chapter 4

Sally looked out from the port side of her ship into the harbor as she fiddled with the jade bracelet that had been a midwinter gift from her Partner and friend Wufei. It was made of carved beads of dark green jade. The carvings on the beads faintly reminded her of scales all except for one which looked like a long snout with teeth biting onto something, she could make out the eyes and the teeth. Sally recognized quality jade when she saw it, and the jade was nice enough and the carving detailed enough to be a family heirloom. She would have worn it all the time, but she didn't dare wear it on missions for she couldn't stand the thought of it getting lost or broken, still it should be safe enough on this trip home.

Here I am, home at last, she thought. The last time I was here I was a freedom fighter fighting against OZ and the Alliance both. I met Wufei here. What could the Council want with me? Maybe they're here to finally disconnect me from my father. A girl can hope after all. For a tiny second she felt guilty for wishing such a thing, what girl in her right sense would wish so badly to rid her father from her life? Then she remembered just exactly what her father was like and the guilt disappeared.

She looked down at her bag. It was the same kit that she brought on all of her missions, filled with the necessities: toiletries, med-kit, portable tools, and clothing. The clothing was the kind she usually wore in the Outlands, under-things, white blouses and pants. She wore her Preventors Uniform with small tie and jacket….She was definitely going to stand out at Home unless she changed her clothing to something like what she'd been forced into as a child (when she wasn't wearing her martial arts gi). But doing that seemed too much like bowing and giving in to them, so she decided she'd just shock everyone and show up exactly as she was. She would make it clear right from the beginning that she was not going to change who and what she had become.

I'm proud of who I am, she thought. I'm proud of what I've become and no amount of disapproving frowns and elderly Mama's shaking their heads and muttering within earshot about shameful women who don't know their place is going to make me ashamed of who and what I am. If they don't like it, they can just ship me back out to the Outlands.

With that notion firmly in mind, Sally walked off the gangplank and went to the nearest Preventors Office to borrow a jeep from them. The final leg of her journey would be using mostly country dirt roads it would take a few hours, but due to the time zone difference in this part of the world, she should reach Po Village by early afternoon.

* * * 

Wufei had to fuel up at different stops a multitude of times, at one of the stops he'd had to wait five hours for the fuel he'd needed to be delivered. At another stop, he'd had to have his plane inspected inside and out for drugs or some such, it ws only at the end when he'd lost his patience and shown him his badge for the Preventors Agency that they'd finally let him go in peace. Wufei had fretted and grumbled about that one for a time. 

Finally, hours later, he arrived in Hunan Province, Po Village would not be far. He still couldn't get his mind around it. Sally had belonged to the Clans all this time and she'd never said anything. Then again, given what her sister Ming said about the lengths she had gone to to gain her freedom, it really didn't surprise him that she didn't want to speak about it. Given her independent nature it must have really galled at her to have to constantly look down to every man instead of meeting his eyes like an equal. He really couldn't see her settling down to become a meek subservient housewife. It was said that among some of the Clans, the ones more isolated along the Border, that if a wife was not meek and subservient and obedient in all things she could be beaten until she was. Wufei tried to picture that, but could only see Sally as the one administering the beating to the guy with the nerve to strike at her. She didn't fight very well against groups, but in a one on one fight she could more than hold her own (as she had already proven by those matches she'd fought at Midsummer to earn her freedom.)

In my Clan she would have never known such utter distain, Wufei thought righteously. Once she'd proven that she could hold her own in a fight she would have been asked to give up the marriage nonsense and spend her time honing her fighting skills. Her warriors spirit would have been appreciated, even nurtured. In fact, such strength would likely have given "Sai-Li" her choice of suitors, for in a Clan that valued strength and justice as much as Dragon Clan did; strength and intelligence were generally prized more highly than a woman's ability to hold a perfect tea service. That wasn't to say that those women who were good at the domestic arts weren't appreciated, it was wiser by far to appreciate a person for what they are good at. Wufei had learned this.

Wufei wasn't sure entirely why he was in such a hurry to make it to Sally's side. Perhaps it was that he did not like the thought of her walking into a trap blindly without him there to help, or maybe it was that she had done so much to help him when he'd needed it the most that it was only right and honorable that he would return the favor. It couldn't be because he wanted to prevent Sally from getting married off before he was ready to part with her. His earlier ponderings came back to haunt him. Was he being selfish and only wanting to keep her all to himself, not wanting to share her even with her own family…

But from all I've gathered, Sally doesn't want to share herself with her own family. So I think in this case I am doing the right thing. She does not wish to be married, and I do not wish to see her unhappy- well that brought him up short. As a caring friend he would naturally not wish to see her made unhappy whether it was by her own Clan and family or even by himself, but still he was surprised that the thought had occurred to him. It must be more of the woman's influence on him.

It would be best to hurry, there was no telling how long after her arrival in her Homeland they would call her before the Council. It might be right away, or they might take a day or two.

* * *

Sally walked up to the main Gate to Po Village. Everything looked pretty much as she'd left it eleven or so years ago. Po Village had remained pretty much unchanged for generations and generations. It was like one large stagnant pond that way. Spires of decks stcked one atop another reached up towards the sky. Clay shingled roofs bent slightly before shooting out to sorm gutters on the buildings. There were ornamental ponds with equally ornamental bridges crossing over them in carefully tended gardens with stone benches and lanterns. She suppressed a feeling of nostalgia at being surrounded once again by such familiar sights, and proceeded to walk straight down the cobblestone street to the heart of Po Village the House of Po, the place where she had grown up. 

Sally looked around, noting one or two minor changes, the pillars had been repainted, there was a new ornamental phoenix decorating the top of one of the spires. There certainly seemed to be a lot of people around, Sally didn't recognize half of them, but by the colors of their robes they were from all different Clans.

I wonder if they're here to see about this thing that I've been summoned for; whatever it is, she wondered as she wandered down the familiar streets of her childhood.

With a feeling of trepidation, Sally walked up the steps of her familiar family home. Her father was waiting for her at the open door, resplendent in his robes of scarlet and gold silk stiff with embroidery in real gold thread in a stylized Phoenix symbol repeated over and over in between embroidered sunbursts with red gems sewn into the center and clouds embroidered of scarlet and edged with gold. The jewelry and trappings of office he wore were heavy and extensive. Sally was amazed he could still move in the entire get up because he looked like a walking shrine. Gold and scarlet jewelry had worked into his hat as well which was a tall pointed affair, more Phoenix and sunbursts. 

He frowned with severe disapproval when he saw her.

"Daughter," he said stiffly, his frown becoming, if possible, even more disapproving.

"Father," she said with stiff formality, determined not to let him see how much his disapproval still hurt her. Oh, she knew that he'd never change his mind about her and that he'd never approve of her for following her own path, but it still hurt.

"I trust that you will be changing into something more appropriate." He said after taking in her shirt and pants and jacket, attire that more traditionally was reserved for a man rather than a woman, and no woman of the Clans would be dressed so outlandishly. It just Wasn't Done.

"I find this entirely appropriate," she replied, trying to keep her voice even and full of unruffled calm. "This is my uniform for the Preventors after all, but I would like a good wash to clean the grit of travel off me. It has been a long journey."

With that she proceeded inside, only to be attacked from both sides as soon as she'd crossed the threshold. Before she could react she was wrapped in a fierce hug of welcome. Then she was passed on to another.

Her eldest younger brother the Heir, Po Lang was first, followed by her two youngest twin sisters Po Shae-Ka and Po Shai-Hii, who were born after Ming-na. Then came the third eldest Younger Brother Po Kai and the fourth eldest Younger Brother Po Juu for their greeting hugs and last came her youngest Younger Brother Po Shang and her eldest Younger Sister Po Ling-La. She was passed around and pounded on the back by the young men of her family and kissed on the cheek by her sisters. 

"We are all glad to see you Little Mother," said Lang when the furor died down. Sally smiled briefly at the nickname. She'd been called that years ago when she had been Little Mother to them all in deed. "But even though we are so glad you are home again and we can see you, I would also wish that you had not returned here. We sent Ming-na and Fa out to warn you not to come home but I suppose they must have missed you."

"What's wrong?" she questioned turning from exulted and happy to deadly serious in the time it takes to draw breath. 

"We cannot say. It is forbidden, these walls have eyes and ears. You will find out shortly, but be on your guard Little Mother."

 "I promise that I will be careful. Don't worry about me, I'm sure that whatever comes up I will be able to handle it," she said putting on a cheerful face. Her brothers and sisters exchanged troubled looks, but they said no more, allowing her to take her bath in peace.

Ah, now this is one of the few things I missed about Home, she thought with a sigh of pleasure as she sunk into the steaming hot bath. The bathing facilities in the Outlands were adequate, but nothing compared to what Home could boast. There were pools of varying degrees of hot and cold steam rooms, saunas, sweat baths, and pools for soaking. Some were for communal soaks, others for the solitary individual wishing to soak in peace. Scented soaps of various kinds were available, as were lotions and rinses. The smell of herbs from the soaps and sulpher from the spring-fed mineral baths permeated the room and Sally allowed herself the luxury of a good soak followed by a double wash.

 She had made certain to bring her clothes and kit bag in with her so she could keep an eye on it for she did not trust that her father would not order her Outlander clothes taken and disposed of. She wanted to go on wearing her comfortable clothing instead of being stuffed into some impractical, stiff robe that wouldn't allow her legs to swing naturally when she walked. Sally dressed and walked out of the bathing chamber to meet what awaited her.

It was nearly sundown now. Dinner would be called shortly. The perhaps she would finally learn why she had been summoned.

"Po Sai-Li," said one of the House guards. "Your Father has ordered that you be shown to your quarters to take your meals there and await the time when you are called before the Council," said one of the guards, smiling as if he knew something she didn't. He probably did, and that made Sai-Li nervous. 

"Can't I even seek out my old Sensei and speak with him?" she asked, stalling and mentally cursing herself for a fool for not thinking of that before she got her shower. If anyone could tell her what was going on, it would be him. He had status not only as a warrior and  hero, but also as one of the Eldest men in the entire Clan.

"No. You are to be escorted to your room immediately," the guard answered. Sai-Li recognized him now, and wanted doubly to wipe that smug look off his face.

"Ah, I know you! Zan Chou! I defeated you once in a match, it only took me three moves," she said rubbing it in a little. He scowled deeply at her and motioned with his spear that he was to escort her to her private quarters. It wasn't the room she'd stayed in as a child, for that room she had shared with all the rest of her sisters. Sally reckoned that it was a guest room, an unwelcome guest room. She sat on the bed and took a book out of her bag; she might as well resign herself to the wait for she was hesitant to act without more information.

She sat down on her bed and was surprised to hear the crinkling sound of paper crumpling under her hand. She rose immediately and looked down at the folded message lying on her bed. Someone had left a note for her? She recognized the handwriting of her old sensei and unfolded it. With a frown of puzzlement, she began reading.

* * *

Meanwhile Ming and Fa arrived home to tell their sister's supporters, namely the other siblings and her old Sensei Dirhann, of their failure in the outlands, but also of the help that Ming had gathered. True, he was an outlander, but he had seemed uncommonly confident that the Council would agree to hear him. Ming was certain he had to be a warrior of some kind.

"But he's an Outlander, what good can he do. The Council will not allow him in to see them, much less listen to what he has to say when he gets there," protested Juu.

"He seems to know of our ways and he told me that he was familiar with Clan life. Maybe he's a member of the Twelve Clans who works and lives outside his Clan like Sai-Li does."

"Or maybe he's an outcast," Juu pointed out to Ming.

"Speculation, younglings," said Dirhann patiently. "And do not forget that your own sister can be a formidable and canny opponent. She may yet find her own way of resolving these charges against her without our help. If this Outlander is able to help her it is good. But there is nothing we can do now that has not already been done."

At the smug smile on the old man's face, the siblings turned to look at him.

"What do you mean old man?" asked Shang.

"These men seem to think they can outwit me at a game I myself taught them," he said. "I merely had a message awaiting your sister slipped into the chamber she would be staying in. She should be reading it right about now. Then we shall see if she decides to slip their grasp or stand and fight like she usually does."

"I bet she'll stay and fight," said Po Shae-Ka. "Sai-Li is too strong and brave to run away."

"Yeah, besides even if she does get away, you and I both know that Father will merely send the Hounds of the Phoenix after her," said Lang cynically. The Hounds of the Phoenix were special assassins that once loose would not give up until their quarry was either dead or apprehended. They had been turned on errant Clan members in the past and no matter how far or how fast they had run, the Hounds had eventually caught up with them.

"I imagine she had already thought of this," said Dirhann. "She is my protégé after all."

"All we can do is wait now, and see how events unfold themselves." asked Po Shai-Hii, the most Zen-like of the sisters. She had a face like a still pond, and didn't ofen spean much, but when she did it was worth listening to. It was a direct contrast to her twin who babbled like a river all of the time.

"Yes child. We shall see what we shall see. And if all else fails, she will have to rely on my training to survive. I do not think she will do too badly, she knows the terrain better than the Hounds, knows the Outlanders customs and has enough friends to assist her. One way or another, my daughter in spirit will prevail I'm sure. We have only to wait until sundown."

* * * 

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The show and its characters are the sole creative property of Sunrise, Bandai and Sotsu Agency as well as its creators Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hajime Matate. The Twelve Clans and all of its affiliated work is the sole creative property of me.


	5. Chapter 5

Sally finished off the last eggroll and the sweet duck and pork over vegetables and steamed rice. You just couldn't get real Chinese food like this in the Outlands. Then she reread the contents of the letter from her old friend and teacher. So that was their game, was it? It was a specious charge, hard to disprove unless she was willing to under go a physical examination. And even then Sally figured that the examiner would be under her Father's pay and lie about what he found.

Security here is really lax. I could certainly make a break for it and no one would know until I was already well gone, she thought looking around at her guest quarters turned prison. But they've probably already confiscated my jeep regardless of the fact that I've got the keys with me. If they left it in the same location it will be under guard. If they moved it to somewhere else it would still be under guard but it'd take me a lot longer to find it. I could always sabotage the other transports and frighten the horses and hide the tack after knotting it up…But that's assuming I want to run away. 

She was pretty sure running away wouldn't solve anything. If anything it would make her problems worse. Not only would she have to contend with the dangerous missions that the Preventors sent her on, but she'd also be looking over her shoulder constantly wondering when the next knife was going to come flying out of the shadows. And then there was her partner. Wufei would want to know all about it and she was certain he wouldn't approve of her just giving in so easily. She'd never hear the end of it.

I'll just have to stand and fight. If worse comes to worse I can always beat the stuffing out of both my and Ming's new suitors. Definitely something to keep in mind for the future. It was not wise to be overconfident in her skills, but she had been sure to keep them sharp. Her chosen career was dangerous and she needed every edge she could get. She was still undeteated and unmarried and intended to stay that way. Even if she could never marry the man she'd fallen in love with, Sally could at least keep her freedom to be with him at his side.

Well let's see she thought getting a mental tally of her possible allies. For allies I have my siblings. But they'll surely be overruled by my father. There's Sensei Dirhann, the Council will listen to him and respect his words for he is an old and venerable warrior. However it is well known that I am his favorite, so they will likely discount what he says as merely his desire to protect me. Perhaps the entire Council will not be against me, but I should not assume that any will be sympathetic to my cause either. I sent home a good many young men in shameful defeat those years when I was fighting the tournaments. It is not likely that they have forgotten that. Sally thought of her depressingly short list of allies she had here at Homeland and resigned herself to having to think of another way around this mess.

If only I had access to the library. I'm sure there must be a law I could use in there somewhere. That's how I got out of being married off the first time. Perhaps I can stall for time while me and my Sensei check the scrolls, she thought. That was always assuming that they were actually going to allow her to speak. With the Grand High Council and her being only a mere Female Creature, it was not precisely as sure thing. This wasn't the Outlands, and it was by no means guaranteed that she would be allowed to defend herself. She might just have to fight her way out again.

One thing was for certain, she was getting heartily tired of these Clans and their attitudes. She was also getting sick of being summoned back home like some wandering delinquent when she had other things to be doing. She had a life of her own now and it was high time that Father and the other Clans realized that fact and left her to it in peace.

* * *

Wufei stopped outside the Gates of Po Village as the sun was creeping towards the horizon. The sky was afire with brilliant oranges and scarlets and golds almost like the plumage of the Phoenix itself. It had been a long time since he had seen the familiar traditional Chinese architecture of one of the Clans. The rest of China looked like the rest of the Outlands, but among the Twelve Clans where tradition ruled, the same style that had existed for hundreds and hundreds of years was the only style there was.

"Where can I find the Council Chamber?" Wufei asked in Chinese to the first person he encountered, a young guard standing just inside the gate. "Has the Grand High Council Meeting begun yet?" he questioned.

"I do not answer the questions of an Outlander," said the guard officiously. Wufei reached the end of his already short supply of patience.

"I'm not an Outander you fool," he said and whipped aside his Preventors jacket to reveal the Dragon Sword, the symbol and sacred relic of his clan, strapped to his side. The sword was forged of pure platinum; the handle was a carved dragon of finest jade, a green darker than pine. The base of the sword was inlaid with more jade and also showed carved dragons. It was obviously an ornamental blade and not truly meant for combat (who could fight with a platinum blade? The metal would be too soft!).

"I am Chang Wufei of Dragon Clan. I am the last surviving Child of the Dragon and the scion of my Clan. I demand to meet with the Grand High Council at once."

"That sword proves nothing. You could have killed the rightful heir and taken the sword."

"Idiot. Were you born last night? This relic cannot be taken from clan grounds unless its bearer is of Dragon Clan, the entire Clan would come boiling out after the thief like a nest of hornets. Now stand aside or you shall find out first hand why my Clan is so famous for its warrior skill."

"I'm afraid I still can't let you pass. The Council is about to call for that worthless bitch-"

And here the guard found the ceremonial blade at his throat so fast that the blade was no more than a flash of light and a whistle through the air. 

"Mind your tongue before I remove it from your mouth," Wufei said sharply. ((A.N. no pun intended.))

The guard gulped. 

"I meant no disrespect to the Lady Sai-Li," he said. "But I'm under orders that no outlanders be permitted inside these gates until after the Council has reached it verdict. I hope she really gets it from the Council. That'll teach her to keep her proper place and I'll get a little of my own back from that time she beat me in a match. Four moves! Unbelievable."

"I believe it," Wufei muttered. He was surprised it took her that many. 

"Very well," Wufei acquiesced. "You don't have to let in any Outlanders, just me. I'm not an Outlander, I'm a Noble scion of the Clans. Therefore I can pass."

"Your authenticity has yet to be verified," the guard said. 

Wufei looked around him, wondering if anyone would notice if he knocked the guard unconscious. After concluding that there were too many onlookers, Wufei glanced around him for weaknesses or openings in the walls. If one could not get in the front door, then the back door would have to be tried. He would have to wait precious more hours for darkness, well twilight might just suffice.

"You said that they were about to call in the Lady Sally- er, Sai-Li," said Wufei, interrupting the guard midspleel. "Meaning they haven't called her to the Council yet. How long until the Council convenes and she is brought before them?"

"After the sun sets," said the guard. "Hey were really haven't seen any of Dragon Clan around since they went up to space generations ago."

"True. It must just be time for a representative to take the rightful place of Dragon Clan on the Council. I must go now."

With that Wufei reversed direction and went to find another way in. With a group of guards that had no radio communications, and no real way of getting a hold of one another save word of mouth, getting inside Po Village would be a cakewalk. While Wufei hated skulking around in the shadows, if he had learned one thing from his partner it was that expediency was often far more valuable in a crisis than outdated notions of honorable behavior.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The show and its characters are the sole creative property of Sunrise, Bandai and Sotsu Agency as well as its creators Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hajime Matate. The Twelve Clans and all of its affiliated work is the sole creative property of me.


	6. Chapter 6

Sai-Li sat on her bed pondering her options as the sunset brushed the sky with brilliant strokes of gold and crimson and bright orange outside her window. There came a polite knock on the door to her "guest quarters" as the sun sank below the horizon.

"Lady Sai-Li," came a defferential masculine voice outside her chamber door. She could hear the maliciousness under the defference in the man's tone, and was under no illusions about her condition. All hands were raised against her. 

I could understand, to a degree, if I'd come back home pregnant and unmarried, she thought in irritation. That would at least give them a solid cause to base their contempt upon, but it appears that they all want to dislike me on sheer principle. Backward sticks; the lot of them.

"What is it?" she called as if she didn't already know. There were appearances to keep after all.

"The Grand High Council has convened and it is ready to see you now," he said. "The escort your father has ordered for you has arrived to convey you there."

Escort?! Oy! My father really doesn't trust me not to escape does he?

"I'll be right out," she said. Sally gave herself one last look over in the mirror, adjusted her jacket, straightened her blouse, tightened her tie and gave a final smoothing pat to her hair. She really didn't need it, but she figured it couldn't hurt. Her appearance was going to shock and scandalize them all anyway, she might as well give them her best.

Sai-Li opened her door to reveal the shocked faces of six guards, who stood staring at her in her outlander's garb with expressions akin to landed fish on their faces. Well, six guards… boy her father and the Council weren't taking any chances, were they?

"Well gentlemen?" she queried. "It's best not to keep the Grand High Council waiting. We should be on our way."

"Lady Sai-Li…surely you don't intend to go before the Grand High Council dressed like that do you?" blurted out one of the guards before he could stop himself.

"That is exactly what I intend and since neither of you are in any position to argue with me about it, we should get going before the Council gets impatient and comes looking for us," she said and with that just strode right out the door without looking back to see if her guards were escorting her or not. 

She was escorted inside the building by her six armed guards (who had swiftly caught up with her) and when she reached the Council chamber she was told to wait outside while the Herald announced her arrival. There was a gong, then her name was called. The doors opened slowly to reveal a long, wide chamber with a ceiling so high that the top of it was lost in shadow supported by traditional stout wooden pillars. The floor was of stone polished to a mirror like shine with a huge motif carved into it of different polished stone tiles. It was a compass rose with the Four main Clans at the end of each point dividing the floor into quarters. Then on either side of the four main points were two minor points that formed a triangle. Each point had the crest of one of the Clans on it, made in polished stone, in each Clan's own emblemic colors. 

Sai-Li proceeded over the stonework of the entrance and into the room itself. At the end of the room, rested a huge stone table that was polished as shiny as the stone floor. It curved a little towards the back of the room so that Sai-Li could see all of the faces ranged against her. Behind the table were hung suspended banners of fine silk down from the ceiling, each lit by a skylight, and each carried the crest of one of the Clans. Obviously each man seated in front of each banner was the one who represented that Clan. The seat to the fore of the banner marked for Dragon Clan lay empty, and something nagged at the edge of Sally's memory. Her father stood off to one side, his face red with anger at her outright defiance of him in front of his important visitors. Sally was concerned as a doctor, she feared he might suffer and attack of apoplexy. 

"Good evening Honorable sirs" Sally said with a respectful bow at the waist, it wasn't a proper bow for a woman to make but Sally couldn't bring herself to touch her forehead to the ground. "You wished to speak with me?"

The eleven men arrayed before her, each dressed in elaborate robes of silk in the colors of their respective Clans and decked out to the nines in jewelry, each carrying a sacred relic of their Clan, sat there still as statues with expressions as sober as judges. Sally waited for one of them to speak.

"Po Sai-Li, First Daughter of the House of Po, Third House of Phoenix Clan, it has come to our attention that you have chosen to live outside the protection of your Clan, that you live alone and unchaperoned in the Outlands. Is this true?" said the representative from Unicorn Clan.

"Yes I-"

"Answer only yes or no and do not elaborate unless we ask it of you," he said. "You, a woman of the Clans, disobeyed the edicts of your Honorable Father by refusing to marry as he willed it. You defied tradition and made a mockery of the sacred rights of handfasting by holding that…display every year for five years."

"I was within my rights. There is a law that says so."

"There is no law that authorizes you to speak out of turn," continued the representative from the Snake Clan, a withered old prune of a man with an expression as sour as a lemon pickle. "And you are to address the leaders at this body as Honored Councilor, Disrespectful One."

"At the end of your five years of continual defiance of your Familial Duties," continued the one from Unicorn Clan. "You chose to leave your Home, your House, your Family and your Clan behind to live in the Outlands. Is that quite correct thus far?"

"Yes Honored Councilor." 

"And while in the Outlands, what did you there?"

"I studied hard to become a medical doctor and entered into the Alliance to continue my education and training," she answered. "Then when the war of 195 blew in I came back here to China as a rebel freedom fighter so that I could protect my homeland from the depredations of OZ and the Alliance. Then I went up to space for the final battle and assisted the Peacemillion Crew. After the war ended I joined with the Preventors led by Lady Une and worked on missions to keep peace here on Earth and up in Space. At the end of 196, I helped to defeat the Barton Army. I've been working with the Preventors since. Honorable Councilors."

Sally noted with a growing feeling of unease in the pit of her stomach that a few of the "Honorable Councilors" had gotten a predatory gleam in their eyes at this last statement. Sally didn't like it one bit.

"Ah. I see. And were you alone on any or all of these missions?" asked the Councilor from Snake Clan. Sally understood it all now and had no choice but to answer with the truth.

"No. Honored Councilor."

"Who did you work with at this Preventors place?" he questioned.

"I worked first with Lucretzia Noin, my best friend. Then she reassigned herself to another partner; her husband now, Honored Councilor."

"Our sources say that there has been another you've worked with."

"Yes, Honored Councilor." Sally was determined to make them work for every answer they dragged out of her.

"And you've worked with this person for how long?"

"Six years Honored Councilor."

"Six years. That is quite a lot of time to work alongside someone…"

Sally said nothing.

"For the purposes of clarity, was this person you spent so much time around a man or another woman?"

"Irrelevant Honored Councilor," she said, frowning. She didn't care what the Council did to her, but she didn't want her partner dragged in to all of this.

"Po Sai-Li, the Council will decide what is and is not relevant, not you. Answer us. Was the person a man or a woman?"

"He is male, Honored Councilor."

"In-ter-rest-ing," said the Councilor from the Snake Clan. "You've spent every day for the past six years alone with a man outside of Clan Grounds unchaperoned."

"He's my partner. It's part of my job."

"But our sources say that many of the missions you two are sent on are quite hazardous, dangerous, deadly even. In your estimation, how much time do the two of you spend together?"

"I don't know."

"Guess."

"Most of it, except the time we require for sleeping. We have our meals together usually, when we aren't in our separate offices filling out our reports we sometimes do them together anyway just so we can get the details correct. We usually see to our other duties together. When we're on missions most of our time is spent conferring with one another, except when we have to split up and research things separately," she was forced to admit. This really wasn't going well, and it didn't help that she could not lie and say she didn't enjoy his company. She did… too much. It was all too easy to blur the line between good working relationship and implied intimate relationship.

"And your partner, do you feel he trusts you?" asked the representative from the Tiger Clan. Sally was a bit surprised at the change of topic, but answered the question warily.

"I feel he trusts me…as much as he trusts anyone," she answered honestly. Wufei wasn't really big on the whole trust idea, being the solitary sort. He seemed to trust her well enough.

"And how about yourself? Do you trust this man you've been working with for six years?" the Councilor pursued.

"With my life," she said. That much she was certain of. She'd trusted in Wufei practically since the day she'd first met him.

"Is he married?" asked the representative from Snake Clan, who was glared at by the Councilor of Tiger Clan.

Sally saw where the line of questioning was going now and didn't like it, but again she had no choice but to answer honestly.

"No. Honored Councilor."

"To the best of your knowledge is he currently with anyone?" pursued the Snake Clan Councilor.

" 'With someone,' Honored Councilor? I'm not sure what you mean," she said stalling for time.

"Is your partner, the man you spend so much of your time alone with in the Outlands without proper supervision, currently romantically and or intimately involve with anyone else of the opposite or same gender?" demanded the Councilor from Snake Clan.

"I've never asked him Honored Councilor," she said.

"You said you spend a lot of time with him, most of your waking hours. Surely the subject has come up."

"It's rude to pry into people's private affairs, Honored Councilor."

"Are you telling that to me or answering the question, young woman?"

"Both; Honored Councilor."

"You are more impertinent that your reputation gives you credit for," grumbled the Councilor from Tiger Clan. However Sai-Li sensed the faintest undertones of amusement towards her in his voice. Perhaps he was not entirely against her.

"I would say truthful. I am not afraid of the truth, and I am not afraid to speak it," she said forthrightly.

"The what, pray tell, in your own words, is the truth?" asked the Snake Clan Councilor belligerently. 

Sally decided to throw all caution to the winds and ram the truth right into their teeth. Perhaps then they would be forced to sit up and actually listen to her.

"Alright. The truth is that this entire meeting is based on one large steamy pile of bullshit. This isn't about whether or not I have had sex with a man in the Outlands, this is about my father wishing to trap a fish back in his nets that swam off a long time ago. This is about my father wanting to use me like chattel for the sake of an alliance with another Noble House in one of the other Clans. I haven't fucked anyone!" (There were gasps of surprise and shock at this, But Sally was just getting started.) "And even if I had it wouldn't be any of your business. I'm a fully grown woman with a life and career of my own. I don't need to be married to a man to have security or a place to live. I make enough money on my own merits and using skills I learned on my own to provide for myself. I pay for my own house, my own transportation, food, clothing and other expenses. I know it's not the way things are done in my Clan, but I don't live among the Clans anymore and I haven't for years. Father just can't seem to let me go off on my own and walk my own life path. I still love my family very much but I'm about as suited to traditional life among the Twelve Clans as a fish is fit for flying. Yes I spend a lot of time with my partner, and no, neither of us are involved with anyone else but it does not logically follow that we are sleeping together. Let's at least discuss what this is really about. Father doesn't like the fact that I'm strong enough and brave enough to flout his authority by standing on my own two feet, and the rest of you "Honored Councilors" are concerned that once they see how successful I was at making it on my own, some of your younger wives or daughters will get the idea that they can actually accomplish something in this world without the help of a man and that scares you. This meeting isn't about me or my personal life. This meeting is about you and your power, and how you can keep it by the suppression of the female gender in your Clans."

"That's enough!" said Councilor from Unicorn Clan. "Dishonorable halfbreed! You should be thankful that your Honorable Father did not leave you to die on his doorstep and yet you repay his generosity with such contempt."

"It's no more than the contempt he has shown me all my life," she shouted back. "I have never committed any crime save that of wishing to live freely and I have been treated as if I were a lower being not even worthy of breathing the same air as some of those fat fools and rude, supercilious, conniving, backstabbing, pigs who call themselves Nobles! They should spend a year cleaning out stables so they know what real work is like."

"You wretched snipe of a girl, you should have been drowned at birth!" yelled the Councilor from Snake Clan. "But that situation can be easily remedied. For you continual defiance of the True Path of Nobility of the Twelve Clans, I move that the Council sentence this lowly dishonorable Child to death for her behavior."

"You go right ahead and try it! I'll come back and kick your ass!" Sally shouted, past all caring. She truly didn't care if they executed her; she was tired of their bullshit. She could at least go out with her head held high. She intended to give them all a fight they'd all remember too. Perhaps Wufei was right and she was weak, too weak to change anything, but she could at least die with her dignity intact.

"I second the motion," agreed the Councilor from Unicorn Clan. "We vote, Councilors. All in favor…?"

Ten other hands shot up into the air. The one from Tiger Clan rose slowly, but rose just the same.

"By Unanimous Vote of the Council on this day May 17th, fourth year of the Dog Era, we, the Grand High Council of the Twelve Clans does hereby sentence you, Po Sai-Li, dishonored daughter of  Po Tzu; to d-"

"Wait!" called a voice from the entrance. All heads snapped up or whipped around to see who dared interrupt the Great Council like that.

"Wufei!" Sally gasped, then hissed "Are you crazy, what are you doing here?!" 

Wufei ignored her and walked down the columnway into the room to stand before the Grand High Council in his Outlander Preventors uniform with the jacket that was an exact match to her own, without the barest trace of fear. 

"You are not allowed to sentence her to death," he said implacably. The Councilors were just looking at him in shock, one recovered enough to say

"Outlander! Who allowed you in here?!" demanded the Councilor from Snake Clan. "Guards! Escort this piece of rubbish out of our presence."

"I'm not an Outlander, any more than any of you are," he said calmly. "And your guards won't be able to answer your summons for quite some time yet."

"Wufei! You are not helping," Sally gritted. 

"Well I can't possibly be hurting you any either Sally, I believe they were about to sentence you to death," he pointed out humorously. Sally shot him a black look for his joke.

"Outlander, I demand that you remove yourself from this Council Chamber at once or you too shall join your lover in her grave," said The Snake Clan Councilor. 

"For one thing, Sally and I aren't lovers, for a second thing I am not an Outlander, and for a third thing, this Council does not have the authority necessary to sentence a person to death," said Wufei, unperturbed by the sight of so many red-faced Councilors glaring at him. "By ancient law, only the unanimous vote of the entire Grand High Council can sentence a person of the Clans, even a woman, to death. As you all can see," and here he gestured to the empty chair sitting in front of the banner with the crest of the Dragon over it. "The Grand High Council is incomplete."

"It does not matter," persisted the snake Clan Councilor. "Dragon Clan has had no representative here on the Council for years."

"Well it does now." And with that Wufei revealed the Dragonsword, sacred symbol of all of Dragon Clan, and calmly as you please took the seat on the Council to the fore of the Crest of his Clan. The Councilors spluttered for a moment, all save one, the Councilor for Tiger Clan.

"Welcome Brother," he said. "It is good to see all twelve Clans together at last. It grieved my Clan to watch yours be sent into exile, but at the time there was nothing to be done except to save your lands. When you are ready to reclaim them and start your Clan anew, come and see me and I will give you back the lands which are rightfully yours."

"Thank-you," said Wufei, surprised and touched. He abruptly turned back to the rest of the Council and said

"You can take it as read that you do not have my support for the beheading of my partner Sally here. I can also attest on my own word of honor that she has not acted dishonorably while away from your Clan Grounds. Drop your charges and let us have an end to this ridiculous mess."

"Motion sustained!" called out the Councilor from Tiger Clan.

"What about my Marriage-Alliance Contract!" protested Po Tzu. "Whether she lives in the Outlands or not, Sai-Li is still my daughter by blood and I have the right to distribute her hand in marriage to a man of my choosing according to most ancient and sacred of our traditions. She will marry Yo-Kin of Unicorn Clan if I must have her chained to the marriage altar!"

"Um, you tried that once already Father," said Sally, with a small smirk. "I don't think it will be any more successful this time around than it was the last time you tried it. Recall that I still have the right to challenge any suitor for my hand and I will do so if you force me to. I have yet to be defeated by anyone, so unless you want a repeat of that five-year free-for-all I suggest you find a way out of that particular contract. Furthermore, if you attempt to marry my sister Ming off to that horrible man who has already worked three other women into their graves with childbirth and chores you can be damned well certain that I'm going to champion her against that piece of ambulatory offal."

"You intransigent, unmannered, disobedient daughter!" said an outraged Po Tzu. "It will serve you right when you finally do meet a man who can best you in combat, and you must marry him. I hope he is as ugly as a three eyed oni with the temper to match it."

"Don't think the thought doesn't keep me awake at nights," Sally muttered under her breath. Wufei caught it, and chuckled. 

"Indeed," said Wufei,. "You aren't allowed to marry Sally off anyway, she's well past the age of being young and malleable."

Sally glared at him in insult and growled "I'll settle with you later."

Pretending he hadn't heard Sally's comment, Wufei continued. "Furthermore, she's under the protection of Dragon Clan. See the bracelet?"

Sally looked down at it in surprise. Now that she looked at it, she realized what it had reminded her of; a dragon! The bead that had the teeth biting into something was the mouth biting into the tail. 

"It means she's earned respect and gratitude for her kindness and bravery. It was given freely as a token of high esteem."

The Councilor from Tiger Clan coughed as if choking on something, and Sai-Li could have sworn that something was a laugh. She didn't really want to inquire too closely, she was just glad she wasn't going to have to fight for her freedom anymore. She just wanted to get back to the Outlands where she belonged.

"I am still her father, no matter what trinket you care to give her," said Po Tzu stonily. "I am Po Tzu, head of the Third House of Phoenix Clan, and I order that my daughter be married to Yo-Kin of Unicorn Clan at dawn tomorrow!"

"Well I'm on the Council and I outrank you," Wufei retorted, clearly losing his patience with the man. "Sally doesn't want to marry that worthless nobleman you've picked for her and I'm inclined to agree with the assessment that she would be wasted on that kind of life. She belongs with me in the Outlands."

Sally saw it coming and only had time to think Uh-Oh! before her father pounced.

"Very well then, you may have my daughter with you. In fact you may keep her," said Po Tzu with a smile like that of a shark eying a bloody carcass. "Her Marriage Alliance with Yo-Kin is annulled. She will be married to _you instead, Councilor."_

Before Wufei could even begin to form a protest; Po Tzu swept out of the room, double doors clanging shut behind him. Sally sighed and put a head in her hand, the things he got them both into for speaking without thinking. But then she thought about how she'd very nearly gotten sentenced to death that very same day and decided it was the case of the pot calling the kettle black. Well she couldn't imagine that her partner would actually want to marry her, given what he'd said about his previous marriage; so she'd just have to figure out another way around it.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The show and its characters are the sole creative property of Sunrise, Bandai and Sotsu Agency as well as its creators Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hajime Matate. The Twelve Clans and all of its affiliated work is the sole creative property of me.


	7. Chapter 7

"Out of the frying pan and into the fire," she muttered. "This is just not my day."

"It could be worse," Wufei said joining her at her side and walking out of the Council Chamber with her. "You could have ended up betrothed to the oni." 

"You're not helping," she said as they wandered back to her family's house. Night was already well set in, and the lanterns decorated in the shape of a stylized phoenix holding a flame in its beak on either side of the streets had been lit. They were the only two walking outside at this time of night and their voices seemed too loud in the quiet air.

"Is it so bad?" he asked.         

"What? The day I've just had?"

"No," he said in irritation. "The idea of getting married."

"Well…" Sally trailed off thinking about it and tried to explain it. "I've spent my entire life fighting them on this one. No one has the right to order my life for me, tell me who I can and can't marry and how I should live my life. If I allowed this marriage to happen, it would be too much like giving up. They'd win and I can't allow that."

"Oh I see; it's not the point, it's the principal," he said smiling into the darkness. 

"Exactly," she agreed. "But you know, now that I think about it, I've never really considered the possibility before. I know a lot of the Outlanders marry who they will, marry for love and such, and I suppose that must be the thing I'm fighting so hard for. But it appears that with all my constant struggling against this patriarchal societal law, I've forgotten that I'm really looking for the right to choose and I haven't used that right. Missed the forest for the trees I suppose you could say."

There was a long pause, then Wufei said

"Well if you were going to choose, do you know of anyone you'd want to be with?"

Sally's heart was hammering in her chest and her throat went dry. She didn't know if he was asking her out of curiosity, but there was a very large part of her that hoped he wasn't. There was also a part of her that was running scared. Did he really mean…? Could he possibly…? It was ridiculous, there was no way he could feel the same way about her! He was four years younger than she was (three years and four months to be precise). He was her partner for heaven sakes!

…He was her partner. Her match. Sally had never felt so torn between hope and despair.

"I…Yes," was all she could say. She was glad that the shadows obscured her face, because there was no hiding her expression behind her usual teasing banter.

"Who?"

 It was probably her imagination, but it looked like he was holding his breath. Sally decided to do the stupidest thing she could think of. She plastered on her usual teasing expression, the I-know-something-you-don't-know-and-I'm-not-gonna-tell-you expression; laughed, and said

"Now _that is a secret."_

Wufei let out a gusty sigh and replied

"You are a stubborn woman."

"Pot calling the kettle black," was her unflappable response.

"So it is. I guess that one of the reasons we make such a good team."

"Here's my house, at the end of the street," she said. "We can put you up in one of the guest quarters."

As the turned to part for the night Sally called out to him from the threshold, smiling reassuringly. "Oh and Wufei…I'm sorry my father tricked you into this. You don't have to worry about being married to me. I'll figure out a way to get you out of this."

* * *

Wufei lay awake staring at the ceiling from his comfortable bed in the guest lodgings. He was faced with the dilemma of a life time. Here he was, promised to the only woman in his life he'd ever truly come to love with all of his heart, and he was sworn to lose her in the morning. Should he do the honorable thing and let her go, or should he follow his own heart and fight to keep her? And she still had no clue about how he felt about her. He'd been within one breath of telling her that he loved her that night but had backed out at the last moment.

Coward, he thought at himself. That was still leaving aside the touchy question of how she felt about him. Did she love him? Or was her interest in him merely platonic? There had been times, when she'd thought he wasn't looking, that he'd caught her looking at him. There'd been a softness in her eyes that wasn't just her usual humorous sparkle. Wufei was sure he wasn't imagining it, but feared he might be misreading it. This was one of the few times when he wished he had more experience with women. He just wasn't sure if she returned his carefully hidden feelings or if she was just being kind and agreeable to him.

"I'll figure out a way to get you out of this," she said. As if being her husband was a fate worse than death, he thought, tossing on to one side. Then again, for someone who'd been fighting with every contender every year for the "privilege" of remaining free to decide, marriage might be a fate worse than death. If that was so, then he didn't have any right to force her into this. Wufei had to admit to being surprised at himself. By any logic, he should be just as reluctant to hit the altar as she seemed to be, but he wasn't. To his amazement, he was even starting to like the idea. Maybe he really shouldn't be so surprised after all; he had given her that bracelet. It was an old family heirloom alright…and often times it could mean precisely what Wufei had said it meant. But more often that not, it was a betrothal gift. A gift a man gave to a woman he wished to make his wife. Wufei, hadn't had the nerve to mention this fact, so he'd lied to himself and told her and himself that he only meant it as a token of his respect for her; but deep in his secret heart he'd warmed every time he saw her wearing his gift. Perhaps the thought of her as his betrothed was what had warmed him.

That nutcase Zechs and his equally stubborn Noin are husband and wife as well as being partners in the Preventors, so there's no stricture against it, he thought. I know that in the Alliance, dating among the ranks was discouraged as unprofessional, but maybe…

Maybe after all this was over with he could make her a real offer. A marriage of equals like it should be, not the cow-towing subservience expected among the Clans. Satisfied with that, Wufei firmly shut his eyes and willed himself into sleep. 

On the other side of the house Sally was lying awake with troubled thoughts as well. What a predicament. Here she was, the best female fighter in Phoenix Clan (out of necessity rather than by choice) who had beat off every contender for her hand and dowry, but now she really didn't want to fight. She loved him…he aggravated the hell out of her sometimes (most of the time) but she didn't want it any other way. Sure, she was proud of her independence; proud of her accomplishments in the Outlands like getting an education on her own merits, achieving the rank of Major on her own merits and getting her doctorate… but she knew she wouldn't be truly happy without him in her life.

Oh she could allow the marriage ceremony to go through and let herself be married to him. She'd get what she wanted that way, but that way was wrong. It wouldn't be fair to him and in the end it wouldn't be fair to her either. She had no right to think of only herself when marriage was supposed to be something that both parties were supposed to want. It wouldn't be honorable and it was taking the easy way in. Plus, there was also the fact that if she allowed the ceremony to continue, she'd be giving her father precisely what he'd wanted all this time. She'd be saying that treating her like chattel was okay and she would be reinforcing those same wrong traditions that she despised. She knew that there were unhappy young girls out there among the Clans who had been following her story for years. She brought them hope, she was a symbol of strength and courage and rebellion. If she lost to her father now all those repressed women would lose all the faith and hope they'd invested in her. She couldn't let them down.

Good reasons, all of them. But even so, Sally was still aching in her heart. She'd never believed in the term heartache up until this point; it really was like an ache. When the marriage ceremony was called off (and it would be) Sally would return with her partner to the Outlands and they'd go on exactly the same way as before, friends and nothing more. The thought of being faced with him day in and day out knowing he didn't love her like she loved him was enough to bring tears to her eyes. She let them come. The ice maiden had finally melted, the strong and independent warrioress had a chink in her armor large enough to march an army of mobile suits through, she'd fallen and fallen hard and there was nothing she could do about it. Her pride and honor wouldn't allow her to marry him; her love for him wouldn't let her leave him.

At least we're still partners, she thought, but she wasn't sure whether to be happy about that fact or depressed by it. For how long could things remain like this? How long before he moved on to other things and Sally was left out of his life, or worse (in her estimation) kept as an important part of it but only as his best friend, his ex-partner? He still had to restart his Clan, and no halfbreed would ever be good enough for that. She couldn't marry him and that was that. But oh how it hurt!

I'll just have to be happy with what I have, she told herself sternly, trying hard not to sob. After all, she had everything she'd ever dreamed of as a child; independence, good friends, the freedom to go where she would and do as she pleased without having to look over her shoulder for watchful disapproving eyes. But now…it just wasn't enough. She wanted to be with the man she loved and have him love her in return too. She wanted to wake up each morning and make him smile (she thought he had a very nice smile). She wanted to be his partner in every sense of the word, share her troubles as well as her joys and know he was going to be there for her too. He could frustrate her to no end, but Sally thought she could do with some frustration. It would be worth it because she loved him all the more for it. It might sound strange but she loved him for his faults as much as his virtues.

Ironic, that's what it is, she thought sadly. So close, yet so far away. This whole situation is impossible.

There was no help for it, tomorrow she would just have to challenge him to a fight like she had everyone else, and ask that he lose to her. That was another thing about him, Sally had watched him fight before and he was absolutely amazing. There was no way she'd be able to beat him at hand to hand combat unless he let her. When it came to skills at martial arts, Sally might be the strongest in her Clan, but Wufei's prowess left her in the dust easily. She could admit that much to herself. That was the thing when it came to the martial arts…there was always a bigger fish. Wufei was a much bigger fish. Uneasily, she fell into a restless sleep in which she dreamed of looking in a house from the outside but not being let in.

 * * * 

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The show and its characters are the sole creative property of Sunrise, Bandai and Sotsu Agency as well as its creators Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hajime Matate. The Twelve Clans and all of its affiliated work is the sole creative property of me.


	8. Chapter 8

_I would like to preface this chapter by telling everyone that the Twelve Clans are not real! I made them up. I took the "Dragon Clan" from the show and ran with it. I made all of it up. I was originally going to use the years of the Chinese Zodiac, but I thought the idea of a rooster clan was…well, stupid. And could you imagine being the Pig Clan? Excuse me, Boar? No. So for those of you who have mentioned that you wanted to know where you could find out more, well, you can't. Sorry. Although I must say that it is flattering to think that my work was so well detailed that you all thought it was real. I read somewhere in an unofficial Guide that Dragon Clan, the Clan of ancient warriors had grown too powerful, been asked to leave and deported up to space on an old colony (Episode Zero). So I figured that if there was one Clan full of traditionalists there might just be more, so I picked a number that was easy to work with and it became the Twelve Clans. Then the rest of the story just came from that, what if Sally was part of one and so forth. So that's that. Happy __Reading__.___

_~Nightheart._

The morning dawned with all of its fiery brilliance, like the phoenix of legend unfurling its wings and embracing the sky. For a few scant minutes all of Po Village was gilded as the suns rays turned the scarlet tiled rooftops to shining molten gold. Sally wasn't in any mood to enjoy it however. She was still too depressed for all that she was a morning person and generally cheerful at this time of day. 

*knocknocknoc* 

"Sai-Li? It's me," said her sister Ming from the other side of her door.

"Come in sister," Sally replied. Ming appeared in all of her scarlet robed glory and Sally suppressed the automatic pang of jealousy she got whenever she saw her sisters. They were all petite and perfect with lovely porcelain doll features, and graceful movements. At a tall 5'6 Sally towered over them, and stood out even more with her light hair, eyes, and skin (which was unusual considering that dark hair and eyes were dominant gene traits). Ming and the rest of her female relations were perfect. They could hold a perfect tea, keep a perfect house and pour a perfect cup of tea with movements so perfectly perfect they would leave Sally looking positively gawky in comparison. They even looked lovely in their scarlet robes… Sally had never looked good in scarlet, she liked the earthy tones of her camo's better than the bright oh-shoot-me-now-I'm-a-giant-walking-red-target robes her House favored.

After their embrace Sally asked

"What brings you here?"

"I've come to help you get ready," Ming answered. "I don't think your old wedding robes will fit you any more. Besides, that thing has seen one too many battles."

Sally chuckled. When she had been forced to challenge her suitors in order to keep her freedom, she'd had to fight them in her wedding gown so that just in case they won the two could be married on the spot and Sally couldn't use that quick mind of hers to get around it.

"But with all the money you sent to us via Dirhann-Sensei in secret we have more than enough to afford you several wedding gowns. Even if silk isn't exactly cheap and good scarlet is hard to find, your earlier generosity will help you out now."

"That's not why I gave it."

"I know. You did that because you love us, but still it will come in handy. Come, let's get you ready," said Ming. Her sister began brushing her hair, and told her of her trip to the Outlands with her brother Fa to warn Sally about the meeting and about how they'd found her partner and asked him to come and help her. Sally related everything that had happened in the Council meeting and told her sister her plans for that day. Ming's sharp ears however caught the repressed tears in Sally's voice.

"Sai-Li? Is there something wrong?"

"No… No, I…*sniffle* I'm…*sniffle*" what she was going to say was lost to the sobbing. She just couldn't help it. Ming held her sister while she cried herself out, not asking for an explanation. Sai-Li would explain in time, and it had to be important for Sai-Li; the strongest and bravest person Ming knew, to be brought to tears.

Finally Sai-Li calmed down enough to choke out a convoluted explanation in which the words "honor" and "right" were used too many times.

"I don't understand you sister," Ming said frankly, when Sai-Li was done. "You love him, marry him. A love match is a rare thing here in the Clans."

"But neither of us really live, or even spend most of our time in the Clans. I love him, yes, but not enough to give up my freedom and everything I've worked and fought so hard for. What do I have that's worth tieing himself to me? He wouldn't be happy with me, I'm only a-"

"Don't say it! Don't you dare say that you're only a halfbreed!" scolded Ming. "Aren't you the one who always told me that a person should be judged by what they are able to accomplish with their lives and not by how noble their bloodlines are or what gender they are? Well?"

"Yes, you're right," said Sally, starting to feel more like herself after a good cry (and a firm verbal slap). "I'm just wallowing in self-pity aren't I? Well that's enough of that. There's more than one way to kill a rat after all and I do have other things to think about. Like how I'm going to convince Wufei to put aside his pride long enough to let me defeat him.

"Still sister, for what it's worth…I'm happy you've finally fallen in love. It must be wonderful," said Ming wistfully. 

"Yes. Even though it isn't all sunshine and roses, I wouldn't trade it for the world," she said smiling and erasing the last of her tears from her face. Ming finished readying her sister for the upcoming wedding, making final adjustments to her robes, fixing her hair (and that funny crown thing that they always wore to weddings) and when she was done she stepped back to survey the results with a pleased smile. Sally merely sighed and tried to look pleased, she hated wedding robes. They were so damned uncomfortable and this one was no exception. Over the years she'd grown a healthy loathing for the things and it hadn't changed with time.

Sally looked down at her heavy costume. It consisted of about four layers. The inner layer was the most practical, being merely scarlet silk trews embroidered at the ends in gold thread in a band three inches wide, and a wraparound silk top embroidered along the neckline and hem and ties with a simple matching gold sash. The next layer was the dress itself. This consisted of thick, heavy Shantung silk in multiple layers. The first layer covered her from the high collared, heavily embroidered neck, to the wrist in huge billowing butterfly sleeves, to the ankle in a long skirt that was embroidered with more gold climbing up the dress in patterns of sunburst and phoenix-in-glory ten inches from the hem of the dress. The collar of the dress was stiff and tight, the great sleeves that hung all the way to her feet were heavy with the silk and more gold embroidery along the "cuffs." And that was only the first layer of the dress there were two other smaller layers atop it. The next layer was cut slightly smaller but supplied the skirt with more area for embroidery. It was open in the front to show the first later of skirt, but was decorated all down the hem that curved round the sides in more gold, the back was shorter than the front panel as well (so it could show off the embroidery of the first layer) coming only to about mid calf and was embroidered in gold. The sleeves on that layer still butterflied, but only went down to her elbow, it made up for this restraint by boasting more heavy gold embroidery. The top layer had no sleeves, instead was a heavy thick pectoral collar weighted with gold embroidery and a medallion of phoenix and sunbursts pillowed on her breasts, the edges of the shoulders lifted slightly to fit the sleeves underneath so stiff with embroidery it could have stood on its own. There was a "belt" around her midriff too, more heavy shantung silk embroidered so heavily with gold thread that it was impossible to see the silk beneath the gold; the two ends hung down in front so their picture could display itself against the scarlet background with proud relief. To top it all off, Ming had put that heavy marriage crown on her head and Sally's neck was getting sore from supporting its weight. The dress was heavier than any bulletproof vest she'd ever worn and three times as stiff. She could hardly move in the thing.

I think father had it designed this way on purpose just so that I'd lose my fight and have to marry Wufei. After all, to his reasoning, it isn't every day he gets to get such a high placed marriage alliance… A councilor if I recall correctly. That coupled with the added advantage of getting rid of his most stubborn and headstrong thorn-in-his-side and Father must be positively ecstatic; he must be just dancing jigs around his desk right now! Sheesh! How much did Father pay for this thing? I could ransom off a small country for the price of the gold and silk alone!

"Oh Sai-Li!" said Ming smiling in happiness. "You look so beautiful! Your partner would have to be as blind as Old Jing'Tou not to see how beautiful a woman you are. I'm sure seeing you like this would give any man second thoughts about fighting with you."

"Let's hope not," was all Sally said, not wanting to offend her sister with some of the more acidic remarks going through her head at the moment. She eyed the dress with disfavor, outright dislike and scowled.

"Good morning Sally," Wufei said from the doorway. There he stood, casually leaning against the doorframe in a clean neat Preventors uniform with an apple in one hand.  Sally would have whirled around in surprise, would have that was, if she could have moved in the stiff and heavy marriage gown. She glared at her dress again with the added heat of frustration. There was a moment, when she'd first turned to look at him, that Wufei's expression had suddenly gone blank, or more accurately he just stood there staring and unable to breathe as he looked her up and down, and swallowed against a suddenly dry throat as any and all thought promptly flew out of his ears. However Sally had missed it because she'd been distracted by the robe.

"Ouch!" called her eldest younger brother Lang from the doorway. "That glare's got enough heat in it to send the Phoenix itself into an early rebirth, sister dear."

"You two shouldn't be here!" said Ming in dismay. "It's bad luck."

"Don't worry about it Ming," said Sally reassuringly. "There won't be a wedding anyway. Man, look at these sleeves, I could hide a jeep, a weeks worth of supplies, and a tent in just one of these things, and host Trowa's circus in the other! Stupid dress. Which reminds me Wufei…when I challenge you I need you to throw the fight; it's the only way the both of us will get out of here without formal vows."

"Normally I'd be happy to oblige you," he said. Sally noticed that he was wearing that peculiar expression that he wore on those rare instances when he was about to commit some mischief. "But I've heard some real horror stories around this place about your fighting prowess. There's some heavy betting going on, did you know that?" His tone was casual, too casual. Sally got that uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"There always is," she said warily. "Well are we agreed that you'll throw the match?"

"I don't know," he said, peeling and coring the apple with a small amused smirk. "I'm kinda curious now. Hearing all of this gossip has made me wonder just how good you really are."

"So we can spar for real once we're both safely in the Outlands," she said. "I hope you know that my father's quite serious about this Wufei. I laugh about and make fun of this ridiculous marriage idea all the time behind his back but it's no joke to him. He expects you to marry me if you win and if you, ah, decline the honor he's likely to take grave offense. Even I wouldn't care to cross him in a fit of outrage."

"So there _are limits to just how far you'll antagonize him," said her partner in that light bantering tone of his. _

"I'm serious here. I don't think I could beat you, especially not in this thing. Are you going to lose or not?"

Wufei copied her look and tone of the previous night as he said

"Well now that is a secret."

"Wufei? Wufei, this isn't funny."

"Yes it is," he said cheerfully. 

"No," she said with certainty. "It isn't."

"Well, I'll think about it when the time comes," he said. "Just prepare to put up a good fight." And with that he vacated her doorway and walked off down the hall. Sally was left staring at the spot he'd just left, worried and fuming. Wufei was the only person she knew who could do that to her.

"Aiee! Be careful what you wish for," Ming quoted softly. "You know it sounds to me like he doesn't want to give you up either."

"I doubt that's it," Sally grumbled with a blush. She couldn't help hoping, just a little bit. "It's probably just that male warriors' pride of his. He just wants to know for certain that he's the bravest and the best out there, better than his partner even. I've always avoided fighting with him for that reason. He _is the best, and I know it. I didn't want to lose status and face in his eyes when he defeated me in a match so I avoided sparring with him. If he never knew whether he could defeat me or not, I'd still be his equal in all things."_

"It seems you're stuck for it now," said Lang. "Good luck sis." 

Sally shot him a withering look which he grinned off saying

"We'll get this over with quickly. I'll tell Father you're ready. The fighting circle has been prepared for you so everything's all set."

For a heartbeat Sally's contrary nature told her that she should just do exactly the opposite of what everyone expected and marry her partner without a protest, just to be perverse. But no, that wouldn't be right. She was just going to have to fight him.

I'd better defy the usual tradition of fighting in my wedding robes though, she thought glancing down at the exquisite detail of the heavy gold embroidery. This is too fine a garment for fighting, and I wouldn't be able to move in it. I'll just have to fight in the wraparound and trews, compliments of my sensei I'm sure. Indeed, the silk under-layer exactly matched the pattern for a fighting gi.

It was a few minutes later when another escort (of _ten guards this time) arrived to convey her to the Pledging Circle. Ming followed one step behind her as Sally walked down the halls and into the central courtyard of Po Village, flanked on both sides by five armed guards._

If he makes one single comment about me finally learning to dress as a proper woman should, and partner or not _friend or not, I'm going to deck him good! she promised herself. Then all thought promptly fled as she saw her partner. Someone had made him a marriage robe (not as elaborate as her own) of emerald green silk, the color of his Clan. Sally nearly blushed the same scarlet as the silk of her robes. How dare he look that handsome when it was difficult enough trying to convince herself to let him go! The robe seemed cut to show off his superb physique, his broad shoulders, well muscled arms, lean fighters build. If Sally hadn't been accustomed to hiding her reactions around him she was certain that someone would have seen her staring. As it was her sister teased her quietly._

"I think someone's blushing," teased Ming.

"I am not," said Sally, but her voice was breathy, as if she was having trouble breathing.

"See something you like perhaps?" Ming continued, grinning broadly.

"You're not helping," Sally gritted. 

Ming just laughed, and then went solemn as they approached the circle. The guards marched off as Sally came to stand beside her father and face her partner across the pledging circle. Before the priest could say anything, Sally said

"I challenge you."

"You do indeed," said Wufei affably. "What has that to do with anything?"

Sally chuckled with him in amusement and clarified

"I mean I challenge you to a fight."

"Well I didn't think you were going to challenge me to have tea and biscuits with you," he replied. 

Great, she thought. He's in one of his moods. Sally knew she only had herself to blame for that one, after all, she was the one who'd taught him the fun one could have with banter and teasing.

"No of course not; you don't drink tea Wufei," she answered in kind. "Now do be a dear and hold still while I beat the stuffing out of you." 

"I would _love to," he said, his tone still light. "Truly. But weddings aren't supposed to involve the kind of brawling best reserved for the insides of bars."_

"Well I'm not playing rock scissors paper for the marriage so you can forget it. Besides, you cheat."

"That's subjective. I never cheat… I may, however, expand the context of the game on occasion…"

"As I said, you cheat. We don't have all day, do you accept or forfeit?"

"Since I've heard about how you tend to introduce men's noses to the altar if they try to marry you without letting you pummel them like bread dough first, I accept your challenge."

"Wufei, precious," she said facetiously with a smile. "I'm going to wipe that smirk off your face."

"If you wanted to kiss me that badly why didn't you just ask?"

"Dragons are a trifle scaly for my taste," was her bantering reply. It was as if they'd never left the Outlands, and Sally was glad for a taste of normalcy in a situation that had up until this point seemed almost too incredible to believe, like a dream. They were interrupted by her sensei before Wufei could get in his next shot.

"Enough, you two. I do wonder why you are bothering to challenge him Sai-Li," said her sensei with a kind smile. "You sound as though you are already married."

"I think she's married to her work, not me," Wufei spoke with a mock-rueful look. "Perhaps in the end it is the same thing."

"Oh Auturo, Prince of Irony," she replied. "You have no room the throw stones since you work just as hard as I do."

"Yes, well I-"

"Enough! We'll never get to the match if you two don't stop arguing with one another."

Wufei and Sally grinned like unrepentant children and disposed themselves to listen.

"The match will take place in one hour at the fighting circle. You have until then to prepare," Sally's mentor looked at her sharply and then smiled the smile of a teacher who was going to put another straw on the back of his favored student and see how well she coped with it. "Furthermore, since there is but one contestant today, there will be no time limit. The match will go until there is a winner."

"Nuts," said Sally, but didn't contest it. That had been how she'd defeated many of her other opponents, simply out fought them and counted on her endurance and agility to keep her on her feet until they tired or they ran out of time. She looked at Wufei.

"I'll see you in an hour 'Fei-kun." And with a last teasing laugh she was off. 

"I look forward to it," he called to her retreating backside.

* * * 

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The show and its characters are the sole creative property of Sunrise, Bandai and Sotsu Agency as well as its creators Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hajime Matate. The Twelve Clans and all of its affiliated work is the sole creative property of me. Yeah, I made it up.


	9. Chapter 9

Sally spent the hour warming up and stretching out her muscles and was reasonably confidant that Wufei was doing the same. No fighter worth their salt ever went into a match cold if given a choice. By doing so they'd do more harm to themselves than they would to their opponent. She had to admit that it felt good when she went through her pre-fight routine, each muscle stretching and loosening with each set she performed. It was like greeting an old friend; the exercises were comforting in their familiarity. It gave her a feeling of nostalgia when she thought about all the times when she'd been a young woman running through those exact same stretch routines preparing herself to fight for her right to choose her husband. 

She ran through a few of the Forms, starting from the simplest and working her way up. Memories of learning them as a young child reached out and embraced her; memories of long hours in the dead of night (her days had been filled with chores, work and other duties to discourage her unwomanly pursuit of the martial arts) practicing over and over in the moonlight. Now the movements and breathing were so ingrained that they were natural, she didn't have to think about them. True, she wasn't as good as Wufei was, but she was no slouch either. 

Don't get too cocky. Especially before a match, she chastised herself. A true martial artist was humble, and not that false humility that covered up blatant bragging either. Sally had never allowed her head to swell for she knew that her sensei would be only too glad to shrink it back down to size for her.

She looked over at the stand that usually held armor; today it held her stiff, heavy wedding regalia. She was going to fight in her under-layer for there was no way that she'd be able to fight in that robe let alone beat a martial artist as good as Wufei.

"Your hour is nearly over with," said the voice of her mentor. Sally tried not to show her startlement. That man, even though her was as old as a mountain, could still sneak up on her quiet as a cat and frighten the wits out of her!

"I'm ready sensei," she said with a smile. He still looked to her like a kindly grandfather, with laughlines around his eyes and the bright shine of a sharp mind within them. For all of his years he was still spry and quick, and Sally had no doubts that he could still easily teach her a thing or two about the martial arts. He was one of the handful of people in all of the Twelve Clans that Sally held respect and honor for. She loved him more than her own father, and could recall wishing as a young girl and as a young woman that it was he she'd been born to and not Po Tzu.

"I have been watching your opponent for this past hour," he said, feigning indifference. "He's quite good."

"I know," she said nodding in agreement. "He's the best."

"And he is a…worthy man? Honorable?" asked Dirhann, as if hesitant to broach the subject.

"Indeed. He's very honorable. I hesitate to use the word righteous, but I believe that best describes him. Otherwise I would not have partnered with him for so long. He's loyal, sincere, true and kind underneath that gruff exterior. And even if he is a pain in the ass… he's my pain in the ass."

Dirhann-sensei studied her for a long minute, then said in surprise

"You are actually in love with him, aren't you?"

"Yes," she admitted. "Completely." 

"He must be a rare man indeed if he could manage to capture your heart, it was whispered that anyone attempting it would need to build a net to catch the wind. I had thought you would never find a man to match you. Why did you challenge him if you are already in love with him?"

"It's the principle of the thing," she said echoing his words to her last night. "If I allow this, Father wins."

"I see. Well we can't have that now, can we? Good luck daughter of my heart, show him what it means to fight the strongest woman of Phoenix Clan."

"Hopefully it does not mean an embarrassing loss with me falling flat on my ass for Phoenix Clan," she said with a grin and walked out to the large central courtyard where the fighting circle lay prepared for her. She wasn't sure if Wufei was going to fight just for show or if he was _really going to fight her, she'd have to test him a little before she took a real swing._

Wufei stood at the edge of the Circle dressed in his dark blue tank top, white pants and soft soled shoes for martial arts fighting. When Sally stepped into the ring they both proceeded in unison to the center. Dirhann-sensei and Turvahl-sensei (from Tiger Clan) stood waiting. They would be referees and judges for the match. They went to the sidelines to watch.

"Masubi…" called Turval-sensei. Wufei and Sally moved in unison to the position masubi-datchi, fists pulled back next to the hips, then slowly turned and lowered to the front of the body.

"Rei," called Dirhann-sensei. They bowed at the waist in unison, maintaining eye contact.

"Begin."

They studied each other for a long moment, Sally said quietly so the others watching would not hear

"Are we fighting each other or putting on a show?"

"I told you to prepare for a fight," he said just as quietly. "You win or lose this one by your own strength and training."

That's when he attacked. He made a high kick to her head (the same kick that had defeated his previous wife when they had sparred together) but instead of blocking as he expected (as Meilan had) Sally countered. She just suddenly wasn't there. Sally dropped to her hands and lashed out with her right foot in a knee sweep, catching the back of his knee with her foot and pulling it forward. It bent as it was supposed to and removed the power base for Wufei's kick, sending him into a controlled tumble. Attack and counter attack, the first set had been made. There was no turning back now.

As Wufei rolled easily to his feet, Sally allowed the momentum of her own kick to swing her legs up and her body followed planting her lightly on her own feet. She looked at her partner turned opponent, and saw that he was looking back at her with his eyes narrowed in concentration. After a pause she realized that he was going to wait for her to attack so that he could assess her skills. Well it was always better to be underestimated in a fight, so Sally came at him with the most basic of movements. Her right fist shot out from the chamber at the side of her waist, he merely moved his head to one side. She pulled it back and tried the left, he batted it aside and said

"Why are you bothering with these child's moves? Fight me!"

"As you wish."

Sally's flat hand shot up and caught his chin while she brought the other around to the backside of his head. A torque of the waist and a whip of the hips and he went over her side and tumbled into the soft sands. She waited until he regained his feet and watched for the attack.

She wasn't disappointed. She heard the rustle of cloth and the sound of wind being displaced by a large mass, just in time to roll to the side and avoid his flying kick. Naturally he pursued her after his first attack didn't land. She barely managed to doge his second kick as he came flying at her seemingly out of no where.

Ancestors Blood he's fast! she thought. She caught the blur of his fist heading for her temple. She twisted, grabbed the wrist, twisted again and threw him over her back. Wufei was heavier, taller, stronger with a lot more body mass. Sally had her speed and agility to rely on usually, but in this case her agility and speed were matched by him. 

Wufei attacked and kept on attacking pressing her harder and harder. Sally barely managed to dodge, block or counter his movements. He possessed a speed that she could hardly believe; it had her reacting mainly on the level of instinct. His punches came at her likes snowflakes in a blizzard, no sooner did she block one than the other was almost on her. Block high, block low, divert and counter punch. She was just barely managing to keep ahead of him, and she was certain she wouldn't be able to keep it up for long.

"Every attack has a weakness that can be countered with a proper defense," was one of the first things her sensei had taught her. "Be like water. It holds no form and is constantly changing itself to suit what it needs. It fights by not fighting, and therein lays its value. Take your opponents force and make it your own."

When she was able to get a good grip on his wrist and send him tumbling into the sands (giving her a moment's pause to breathe and some much needed space) he rolled to his feet in a heartbeat and leapt back at her. Sally really didn't want to hurt him so she played a defensive match for the most part. She tossed him over whenever she could but he just kept coming back.

I can't spend the entire match tossing him around the ring! she thought. Sooner or later he'll catch on and stop leaving me openings. 

When she attacked, she liked to attack low. "Attack the foundation and the whole structure collapses," her sensei had taught her. Sally's foot lashed out for his instep, but he moved his foot, so she merely switched her target and continued her kick aiming for the knee again. No dice. He brought up his knee to waist level and shot his foot out, intending to catch her in the side. Sally caught him. He'd managed to knock her breath out and there would probably be a bruise come morning, but she had his foot trapped between her arm and her body. It was another text book throw she sent him on.

"You're no bird Wufei, aren't you a little tired of trying to imitate one?" she called, unable to resist teasing him a little. Her tone turned cajoling "Why not just let me win and we can go home happy. I'll make you a nice poultice for those bruises and we can have some tea."

"You noted yourself that I don't drink tea, Sally," he replied. "And I'm not going to let you win either so stop fooling around and fight."

"You're so difficult Wufei," she said. 

"Pot calling the kettle black," he tossed her words back at her with a grin. Sally almost forgot to breathe when he smiled at her. Damn it wasn't fair! The man should not be allowed to have this kind of an effect over her in the ring, in the middle of a fight no less. Injustice, that's what it was. Pure injustice.

He attacked again, and Sally let him come at her.

Wufei came at her with a right-handed chop to her temple. She ducked and shot the heel of her hand into his side. She didn't truly want to hurt him, just get him to give in and leave her be. Really, the man was so stubborn. Didn't he see that if he won he'd be stuck with her as his wife for the rest of his life? This was for his own good.

"Sorry," Sally muttered as she sprang up from her crouched position like a coiled spring and brought her knee into his rib cage. Not finished she grabbed the wrist he'd attacked her with and used his own momentum to swing him around so that she was behind him. She brought his arm up behind his back and slid her arm around his neck so that the crook of her arm supported his chin. Lastly she took her foot and forcibly bent his knee so that she could maintain her leverage. But to her complete surprise, instead of going down to one knee clumsily, Wufei used his downward momentum, to jerk his body forward and down sending her flying over him. 

Sally rolled of course but Wufei wasn't done with her yet. She'd no sooner rolled to her feet then he was at her side trying to force her off them again with a shoulder bump. As sumo wrestlers had discovered, this movement had a lot of power behind it especially with a running start. The weakness in using this move was that it was incredibly easy to counter. Sally reacted without thinking to toss him onto a throw, but he'd been expecting that and took her with him. They tumbled end over end for a bit. She tried to save her partner from the worst of it, and was warmed to note that he was trying to do the same.  When they stopped tumbling she wound up tangled up with him. He had one leg wrapped around her legs immobilizing them, and her arms were pinned by his own. She was completely dependent on him for support for she was still of balance and dizzy. She looked up into his dark eyes, his face hovering just inches above hers, and all she could do was breathe. She couldn't move, not merely because she was pinned, but because her own body wouldn't let her. Her chest heaved from exertion and sweaty wisps of hair had come out of the twist she'd confined it into. She got the vague sense that if he hadn't had his arms full restraining her, Wufei would have reached up and brushed them aside.

They waited there, frozen in tableau for a full moment, before Sally was able to bring her limbs under her own command. Her fight wasn't lost yet and she still had plenty of fight left in her to give. Extricating herself might be a little painful for him but he'd thank her for it later. She prepared to twist and send him tumbling into another roll so they could start the match again…

Then she felt something warm and soft on her lips. His lips. Sally suddenly felt dizzy, drunk on the sensation of electricity spreading out from her spine. She felt like she was drowning, all she knew was him, his lips on hers, his scent filling her lungs. She closed her eyes and felt herself melt. He didn't need to pin her arms anymore for they automatically reached up to pull him closer. He deepened the kiss as his own arms tightened around her. He felt like he was flying through the air again, only this time he didn't anticipate a hard landing. He'd wanted this for so long, why had he waited this long? She was soft in his arms and he was pleased to feel her returning the kiss readily.

Finally they separated and Wufei looked down at her. She looked dazed and dreamy, with those perfect lips of hers pulled into a sensuous smile that made him want to kiss her again. She was completely limp in his arms.

"I win," he said in and intimate tone.

"You cheated," she murmured, her voice as dazed as her expression.  

"I expanded the context of the game. As the old saying goes, all is fair in love and war," he replied. He was having an even more difficult time resisting the lips again.

"And what precisely is this? Love or war?"

"The best kind; a little of both."

"Good. Then you'll forgive me for this."

Then Wufei slumped forward onto her and they both hit the sands in a heap as Sally pinched a nerve near the base of his neck, rendering him unconscious. There were advantages to medical training after all, the one who knew how to put you together also knew how to take you apart.

Sally disengaged herself from him and stood, signaling to the judges (and the huge crowd standing nearby) that she was once again, the victor. She picked her partner up and slung him over her shoulder to carry him back to the room he was staying in, she staggered under his weight. His muscle mass and his hight made him heavy and she slumped over trying to carry him; but Sally was accustomed to carrying heavy packs of provisions and weaponry so she could handle his weight.  One back in the room she intended to treat him and dress any wounds she might have given him during the course of the fight. He wouldn't be out for long, she knew; that nerve pinch trick never lasted for more than a few minutes, but in most fights a few minutes was all it took.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The show and its characters are the sole creative property of Sunrise, Bandai and Sotsu Agency as well as its creators Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hajime Matate. The Twelve Clans and all of its affiliated work is the sole creative property of me.


	10. Chapter 10

She'd gotten him slumped into his guest bed and was trying to shove him the rest of the way on when she heard his voice say amusedly in her ear

"My, you do move fast."

Sally looked up at him in surprise.

"Oh, you're awake!" she said. Then she tried to turn brisk and business-like to check him over; she was not a woman now, she was a doctor. "Are you in any pain? Can you focus your eyes?"

Sally brought out a flashlight from Wufei's pack and tried to shine it in his eyes in preparation for a quick examination, but he shot her an irritated glare and batted her hand away.

"Yes I'm fine, and that was a dirty trick."

"You started it," she said softly. She didn't like the tremor in her voice. So he'd kissed her…and she'd liked it. And she'd wanted more. Would the man truly sink to such level just to win a fight? And why? 

"You kissed me," she said quietly, turning around and pretending to fuss with her wrap so that he wouldn't see the tears shimmering in her eyes. The only romantic gesture he'd ever made towards her was merely to catch her off guard so that he could win a fight. That hurt. 

"Yes," he said quietly. "I'm…sorry. I shouldn't have. I had no right to. I'm sorry Sally."

It was one of those pincher moments, Sally had the chance right at this very moment to change their future forever or to take the cowardly way out and keep up the charade for a while longer. She found she couldn't breathe… when she bent her head forward a tiny drop of moisture fell from her eyes glittering in the air for a moment before spattering into her leg causing a dark spot of moisture on her crimson fighting silks. She was glad that her hair and her back hid her face so he wouldn't see the tears she despised so much.

"The only thing I've been fighting for for as long as I can remember has been freedom; my freedom and China's freedom and even freedom for my family," her voice was trembling with emotions. "And I… And I…I've never wanted to give it all up so badly before."

"Sally, I shouldn't have fought you today," he said seriously. The words came slowly to him but struggled on trying to explain. "When I went to sleep last night, I had every intention of not fighting you, and when I woke up I still wanted to let you win so that you could have your freedom… But then I saw you this morning and it was like I was seeing you for the first time; or that time when you walked straight into the fire for me without blinking. You weren't afraid because you fight with your heart and I suddenly just… didn't want to give you up."

"I would still have come with you into the Outlands, Wufei. We're partners," she said, trying to straighten herself so that she could turn back around and face him.

"I know. But…" he searched for the words.

"But?"

"But I… That kiss wasn't about me trying to win a fight. Nothing with you is ever simple, Sally. You're my partner, and we often work closely together. We're a team, you and I, and you're probably the single person in all the world now who understands me."

"I appreciate the sentiment Wufei, but what are you trying to say?"

"You're the other half of my life Sally. I've never felt for anyone the way I feel for you. When I saw you this morning in your wedding robes it occurred to me that I could take the easy way out and not have to ask… I don't know if I was too proud or if I was simply too scared. I was genuinely curious to see how good you were too, but that wasn't why I fought you."

"So why?" Sally was holding her breath, hoping… sending a quick prayer to her ancestors that he was saying what she'd been wanting him to say for such a long time. For someone who had waited as long as she had, the wait for what he would say next seemed interminable. 

"I wanted…_want to be with you," he said. "If I had won the fight we would have been married and I wouldn't have had to ask. But, I know that having to be your keeper instead of your husband would have made you resent me and I can't stand that thought. So… now I'm asking. Will you? Will you join me willingly, stay by my side of your own will?"_

"Tell me why you kissed me."

Wufei coughed a little in embarrassment.

"When I fight, I'm far more professional, but I saw… You were right there in my arms and weren't able to go anywhere, I was staring at your lips. And I just… couldn't resist," he admitted. "I really should work on strengthening my will. You may feel free to slap me now for taking liberties if you wish."

"I thought you'd never ask," Sally said turning around to face him at last. She saw him bracing himself for the blow.

"Not that you silly man," she said laughing in amusement. "I mean, I've been in love with you for so long and you've just been completely oblivious; well not that I've gone out of my way to display it but… Well anyway."

"You mean you-" it would have taken a person as deaf as Beethoven and as blind as Stevie Wonder not to hear the joy rising in his voice and the hope dawning on his face.

"Yes. I do and yes I will," she said. Then they both simply fell into each others arms holding each other close, reveling in the feeling of mutual acceptance from the person they had come to regard as their other half. After a moment they went still, the air grew thick as they slipped closer to exchange their first real kiss as lovers when-

"It is most unsettling to find two people who only moments before were trying to pound each other into the ground, embracing and confessing their undying love," said a voice from the doorway. Both of their heads snapped up and over, to see Sally's old sensei standing in the doorway looking amused. 

"Well you know I've always been a contrary one sensei," said Sally. 

"The very imp of perversity, daughter of my heart," the old man replied.  

"Well father should be pleased, for once. Or perhaps not; as I do intend that the ceremony take place in the Outlands. It simply wouldn't be a wedding without my friends," she said. "I have absolutely no desire to see those damned robes ever again. I've had more than my fill of them, give them to my sisters as part of their dowry, burn them if you like, though that would be a terrible waste. I'm getting married in my Preventors uniform."

"You look better in green anyway," said Wufei amiably. "And I must say I'm relieved to get out of the whole pomp and ceremony of a Clan marriage of state or what have you."

"There is one further thing I'm worried about," said Sally. "My sisters. I've sent them each enough in secret to make them sizable dowries, but I do not want them married off on my fathers whims for profitable alliances. I want a way to protect them without me having to take leave every time father gets a good offer so that I can beat the stuffing out of their suitors."

"That's easily remedied," said Sensei. "Sai-Li, do you not recall what you read in that old scroll all those years ago concerning oaths of family and blood-kin in the case of marriages outside to another clan?"

"Oh yes! That's right!" she exclaimed. She turned to her partner, now her fiancée, to explain. "We could swear them as part of Dragon Clan now that I have said I will marry you. All it takes is a sacred relic, three council men, a venerable elder, and you and me. They are already related to me by blood, it is possible that they can take their own dowries if they wanted to, and begin building on the ancient Clan Ground of Dragon Clan. With houses of their own they can decide to marry, or not as they choose."

"Sounds good, we'll work out the details later. Dirhann-Sensei, thank you for your assistance," said Wufei. "Your pupil is one of a kind."

Dirhann hid a quick look of amusement for that was a dismissal if he'd ever heard one.

"She is at that and I wonder of you truly have any idea what you're getting yourself into. Well, I think I will now go and attend to these details so that they do not manifest themselves as problems when it is most inconvenient," with a small knowing smile he left the new couple in peace.

As soon as he was gone Wufei leaned in to begin where they had left off but Sally stopped him with

"Are you sure you want to do this? I mean I'm not exactly what you would call Susie Homebaker, well I mean I have all the skills to run a household because I had to raise my siblings when I was a girl so I know how to do things but-"

Wufei ceased her babbling with a finger over her lips.

"I'm sure about this, so what's actually bothering you?"

"Well I… It's just that, I'm not… Well…" she trailed off helplessly gesturing at herself. Wufei's brow knitted in puzzlement.

"Not what?"

"I'm not quiet or demure like Ming is, I'm sure she'd make a far better wife than I would. She's small and pretty and can pour tea and-"

"What do her tea-pouring abilities have to do with anything? Do you think I'd marry someone based on how well they pour tea?"

"Well, I was left on the doorstep and I'm only a halfblood and I know that's not a good reason but it's awful hard to shed the things that everyone's been telling me all my life. And I'm babbling again aren't I?"

"Yes," he said with a chuckle. "And I assume you've figured out that none of this matters to me. Halfblood or full or even not blooded at all, it doesn't matter. I know that your own Clan has probably been trying to tell you that your value as a person is less because you're only half Chinese, and up to this point you've probably fought them on that one alone; but you won't have to anymore. Your younger sister is a very sweet girl," he said choosing his words with care for he sensed that Sally was the kind who was quite protective of her circle of loved ones. "She's very sweet but she isn't the kind of woman I want for my wife. Besides, Dragon Clan, even if it is traditionalist, was less rigid than the ones that remained in China."

"But I thought that warriors were always so wrapped up in the ancient traditional ways of doing things. I would have thought that the warriors would be the last to change. They usually are, at least from a historical perspective."

"The move to space changed that. Dragon Clan was forced to adapt to new ways in order to remain prosperous. Besides, the Clan starts anew with us. We can make it whatever we want it to be. Tradition is truly a fine thing, for it gives a person roots and gives large groups of people a sense of their culture, but too much tradition can stifle the growth of a person and make that same group stagnate as a people."

"That's quite true, I know this from personal experience. People men or women should be able to do what their natures best suit them for," she said with a real smile.

"I have a feeling that our natures are best suited for each other," he said with an answering smile as he wrapped her up in his arms and brought her closer. 

This time when he leaned closer to kiss her she met him. Sally felt that drowning sensation again, the rushing in her ears, the hammering in of her heart, but when his arms closed around her she didn't feel imprisoned; she felt free, protected, loved. It was a new feeling for her and the intensity of the emotions overtaking her senses surprised even scared her for a moment, but she then remembered who it was she felt them for her and all of the fear sluiced off from her. 

Wufei for his part, had stopped trying to control the tide of his feelings where Sally was concerned. Some things in the world just were, and there was no getting around that. He had no inclination to make himself utterly miserable by trying to control every aspect of his life. For one thing, unexpected things could, would and did happen and it was up to the wise person to adapt to the changes in his life and profit by them. Love was one of those unexpected forces in the universe, it came (or did not come) where it would and didn't answer to class, sense or common logic. He'd never really been in love before, the time he'd been married had been short, he'd just come back from boarding school and hadn't had time to do more than learn the name of the girl he would be marrying before the ceremony took place. Sally was a different case entirely. When had she come to mean so much to him? Well, things like that tended to sneak up on a person he supposed. He already knew he had no intention of letting her go. She was his, and he was hers and that was that. 

"Shall we leave this place for the Outlands now?" he queried. "Before your father thinks of some other kind of mischief. We still have the rest of our leave time together."

"Yes," she said simply taking his arm and walking out with him at his side. Whatever the future held for them now they would face it together, no chains, no fetters and no more fears.

Finis.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The characters and contents are the creative property of Bandai, Sunrise and Sotsu Agency as well as its creators Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hajime Matate. 

Authors note: Hey gang, sorry I waited so long to post this. I just started a job and I have very little free time, I wake up go to work, work 8 hours then come home exhausted, choke down some food then sleep. I'm starting college classes this Tuesday and work tomorrow. I've been keeping track of the reviews thanks to all who reviewed, I love you guys. If you review this chapter and ask for an epilog I'll find time (somehow) to write one. It just feels a little incomplete. I hope you guys liked my story and if you want to put it on one of your homepages or somesuch contact me at Lyta22@hotmail.com. Hugs, Nightheart.


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